Fallen Angels
by Lady Armandina
Summary: Bakura Ryou struggles with guilt over the evil caused by his yami, and looks for peace with himself. He finds adventure and pain until he realizes that the answer he has been searching for has been within himself all along...
1. Searching for the Truth

Fallen Angels - Chapter One  
  
by Lady Armandina  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these wonderful Yu-gi-oh characters. Celesta, however, is an original character.  
  
Author's Note: I realize that in the Japanese version, Bakura is the yami and Ryou is the aibou. However, I am only familiar with the American version and have grown a liking to calling Bakura the aibou, as that is what his name is in America. I appreciate those who have written to me to let me know of my 'mistake', but I assure you that it was not accidental, but was my choice to call Ryou the yami. I apologize for those of you who are confused by this, but it's just how I feel comfortable writing. I hope it doesn't discourage anyone from enjoying the story. Please let me know what all of you think! I love feedback! And thank you to those who have already reviewed!  
  
~  
  
It was Friday at 2:55 pm and the students of Domino City High School were almost free! Just another five minutes and it was time to head home, every student's favorite part of the week. And tonight was Halloween, which made this weekend even better for everyone. Mr. Chun's math class was getting extremely annoyed with the slow passing of time, especially one boy in particular-Mr. Joey Wheeler. Joey couldn't wait for the Halloween party he and his best friends were going to later that night. He was planning on going as a Medieval Knight and he had the costume special-made. He couldn't wait to show Yugi and Tristan, they were going to be so impressed! And best of all, a certain somebody was going to be at that party tonight.  
  
'Aw, come on, clock,' he thought. 'can't you move any faster?'  
  
"And so, class, for this weekend, just make sure you finish up the homework problems in Chapter 6, I'll be collecting them on Monday. That brings us to the end of class, so have a great weekend, and don't eat too much candy!"  
  
The teacher barely finished his last sentence before the bell rang loudly, followed by a quick stampede of rushing students, lead on by Joey Wheeler. His best friend Yugi Motou followed shortly behind him.  
  
"Hey, Joey! Wait up!"  
  
"Woooo! Come on, Yug! It's time to parrrr-ty!"  
  
The boys rushed outside to meet the rest of their friends, Tea, Tristan, and Bakura, all whom were sitting underneath the shade of a tree waiting for their friends. Tea was the first to notice her two friends had arrived.  
  
"Hey Yugi, Joey."  
  
"What's up, Tea?"  
  
"Hey, everyone. All you all ready for the party tonight?"  
  
"Yeah, Yugi. Do you have your costume all ready?"  
  
"Yes I do, Tristan. Hey, what are you going as?"  
  
Tristan stood up tall and flexed his 'muscles'. "I'm going as the mighty Hercules! The girls simply won't be able to resist!"  
  
Joey was already laughing. "Resist you? That won't be hard at all for them to do once they see my costume!"  
  
"Oh really now? And what are you going to dress up as tonight?"  
  
"That, my friend, is a surprise! You'll see later on!"  
  
Tristan and Tea both rolled their eyes while Yugi smiled on, noticing that Bakura seemed particularly quiet today.  
  
"Hey Bakura, you're going tonight too, right?"  
  
"Oh, yes, Yugi, I am. I am going to be a sorcerer."  
  
"Wow, that sounds really cool. I can't wait to see what Grandpa thinks of all our costumes!"  
  
"Well, come on guys," said Tea. "We should get going so that we can get ready early enough."  
  
"Good idea, Tea. I will see you all later. I have some homework to get done before I get ready, anyway. We're meeting at 7 o'clock, then?"  
  
"Yes, that's right Bakura."  
  
"All right, then. I will see you all at 7!"  
  
"See ya later, Buddy."  
  
"Goodbye, Bakura."  
  
"See ya tonight!"  
  
"Hey, Bakura," called Yugi, running after Bakura. "Wait up one minute."  
  
"Sure, Yugi, what is it?" Yugi caught up to Bakura and they walked side by side toward their homes.  
  
"I had to ask you about that research paper in Ms. Sayuri's class. What have you decided to write yours on?"  
  
"I've decided I want to do some research on different views of good versus evil. You know, with different philosophers and religion and stuff."  
  
"Wow, that sounds like a lot of hard work."  
  
"Not really, Yugi. I have been looking into it for quite some time. It's always been something I'm particularly interested in, so it doesn't exactly feel like homework to me."  
  
'Good versus evil, hmmmm..' Thought Yugi, knowingly.  
  
"Bakura, you aren't still feeling badly about your yami, are you? I know we have talked about this before."  
  
Bakura appeared to be taken aback. "No, not exactly, Yugi. I mean, I guess it's always on my mind somehow. I just wonder if he really is as evil as he seems. His intentions do not seem to be very noble, but it's hard to believe that anyone could really be that evil."  
  
"I know what you mean, Bakura. I was nervous about my Yami at first too. The power I felt inside me felt dark, evil somehow. Plus, I didn't like the idea that I wasn't in control of my own body. I never knew what I could be capable of."  
  
"Yes, but your questions about him have been answered. He is not evil as you once feared. His intentions never seemed to be evil either. But my yami.he tried to kill you all, trap your souls in the shadow realm. He wants to rule the world, steal the seven Millenium items! This all makes me so uneasy about him. I can't stand the thought of hurting any of my friends again, or of hurting anyone at all for that matter."  
  
"Yes, I understand." Yugi sympathized. "Well, if you need any help with your research, I'd be glad to help you out."  
  
"Thank you, Yugi. I appreciate it."  
  
"Just remember something, Bakura." Yugi said, stopping on the sidewalk so that he could look right into Bakura's face. "You are not responsible for his actions. You are a separate soul from him, a totally different person. You only inhabit the same body. You don't need to question your innocence in what he does. If he does turn out to be evil, you are not the evil one. I hope you know that."  
  
"Thanks, Yugi. That means a lot. But please understand that I have to figure that out on my own."  
  
"Sure Bakura." Said Yugi, feeling worried about his friend. Bakura claimed to always be fine, to be okay with all that he had been through lately with his yami, but Yugi knew better. There was something that Bakura held back from the others. He always seemed to be holding back somehow. Though he was always a kind and supportive friend, he kept his distance from the others in a way that Yugi could not really understand. He only hoped that Bakura remembered that they were there if he was ever in need of them. He hoped that Bakura could find answers in the research he was doing for his paper. The concept of good versus evil was definitely something that a lot of religions and philosophies talked about. Yugi hoped that somewhere, someone would have something encouraging to say about it that would help Bakura.  
  
Before they knew it, they had arrived on the sidewalk outside Yugi's home. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, Bakura."  
  
"Yes, Yugi, I'll see you at seven! Bye!"  
  
The boys parted from each other and Bakura had only a few more blocks until he reached his home as well. Though he truly enjoyed Yugi's company, he was glad to be alone again. This gave him time to reflect about everything and to try to figure out exactly what it is that was going on inside his head lately. He knew he had to do something about his yami, he just didn't know what. Until he could control it, he felt dangerous toward his friends and it was best that he stayed away from them as much as possible. This was easier said than done, though. They all were so friendly and had always treated him with so much kindness. How could he just avoid them? They would be sure to feel insulted if he never came around them and refused all invitations to hang out after school. Besides, it was very lonely when he spent all his nights by himself and he looked forward to going to school every day so that he could do at least a little socializing. Everything was just so confusing. He didn't know what to do anymore and just wished that someone had the answers for him.  
  
Once inside his house, he threw his backpack down on the floor in the living room and headed through the kitchen for some cookies. Let's see, he had to do some homework and finish sewing the last part of his Halloween costume before he could get ready for the party. It was now 3:20 and he was meeting the others at Yugi's at 7:00. That gave him plenty of time to sit and work on the research paper for awhile.  
  
He sat down at the kitchen table and opened up the folder of research he had been collecting in the past week. Shoving a double-stuffed Oreo in his mouth, he flipped through some papers until he came to a page that he had highlighted a lot on.  
  
The first part he had highlighted was an interpretation of a Bible passage. It said: "That which is performed with good intention is good, that which is performed with evil intention is evil."  
  
What was that supposed to mean in his case? He never intended for anything bad to happen, yet somehow it still did. So his intentions were not evil, but the outcome usually was. This passage was not helping him at all, so he flipped through to another page.  
  
The next was from Confucianism. It was describing 'mean' versus 'excellent' people, rather than good versus evil. Bakura read it anyway, it said: "Whosoever wishes to eliminate completely the sufferings of others through his own sufferings, that is the excellent person."  
  
Well, this could be good. He knew that he would suffer anything if it meant saving his friends. Given the opportunity, he would help them no matter what, even if it hurt his self.  
  
Liar! You know your true nature, yet are too much of a coward to face it!  
  
'yami Bakura!'  
  
Yes, it's me, you fool. What are you reading this ridiculous nonsense for when you know there is no use for it? You know who you are and denying it won't save your soul!  
  
'No! I won't listen to you! You are separate from me! We are not the same person!'  
  
Hah, and you would believe that ignorant fool, Yugi Motou? He is nothing more than a pawn for his yami as well, he just doesn't know it yet! You have much to learn, young Bakura! I will just have to teach you the hard way!  
  
Bakura screamed as he felt a piercing pain in his head and crumpled to the ground, curling himself into fetal position on the floor.  
  
By the way, I expect you to call me 'Ryou'.  
  
Those were the last words Bakura heard as he felt himself slipping further and further away into the darkness. The fierce pain in his head began to fade into a dull numbness, and the light faded away into nothing. There was nothing here, just the sound of his own breathing and the feeling of a cold sweat over his entire body.  
  
'No, not here again. No.not again.' Bakura whispered as he unwillingly slipped into unconsciousness.  
  
~~  
  
"Come on, Baki! Bet you can't catch me!"  
  
He ran after the beautiful young girl with golden hair, streaming in the breeze. She always outran him, no matter how many times they played this game. It was okay, though. She was always so sweet about winning, and she never gloated.  
  
"Wait up, Celesta! You know you are too fast for me!"  
  
She was giggling now, running faster and faster until she ran out of breath. He caught up to her as she leaned against their favorite old oak tree, catching her breath again. As he got closer to her, she looked up at him with a smile that could lighten anyone's heart.  
  
"You're so much fun to play with, Baki! I'm so glad you're my friend!" she said, firmly planting a little kiss on his cheek. He felt the color immediately rush to his face and he quickly looked down.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing, uh, nothing at all."  
  
"Good, then let's climb our tree and count the stars like we used to do last summer."  
  
He smiled. "That sounds like a lot of fun."  
  
~  
  
That's it for now. I will update soon! Let me know what you think so far! --LA 


	2. Mystery's First Glance

Fallen Angels - Chapter Two  
  
by Lady Armandina  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these wonderful Yu-gi-oh characters. Celesta and Adele are original characters of mine, and Raya belongs to the wonderful authoress, Anya (go read her Yugi fanfics!).  
  
Author's Note: I realize that in the Japanese version, Bakura is the yami and Ryou is the aibou. However, I am only familiar with the American version and have grown a liking to calling Bakura the aibou, as that is what his name is in America. I appreciate those who have written to me to let me know of my 'mistake', but I assure you that it was not accidental, but was my choice to call Ryou the yami. I apologize for those of you who are confused by this, but it's just how I feel comfortable writing. I hope it doesn't discourage anyone from enjoying the story. Please let me know what all of you think! I love feedback! And thank you to those who have already reviewed!  
  
~  
  
**CLANK**  
  
"Owwwww!"  
  
"Joey? What's wrong?" Yugi yelled, rushing to the front door of his house when he heard his friend's yelp of pain. "I heard you knock, but I was on my way down the stairs when-"  
  
He stopped upon seeing Joey, unable to control the laughter that had begun to form in his throat. There, laying on the front porch, was Joey, dressed in a knight costume that was clearly too heavy for him to try walking in. He was currently attempting to stand back up, but the weight of the armor kept causing him to fall back down again. Not one who is easily discouraged, Joey kept trying, but to no avail. When he noticed his best friend standing above him laughing hysterically, Joey began to get frustrated.  
  
"Hey, Yug, you think you can give me a hand instead of just making fun of me?"  
  
"Ha ha ha! I'm sorry, Joey! It's just so funny! You look like you got attacked by tinfoil in that thing!"  
  
Joey's face turned red with embarrassment, though Yugi could not see because of the helmet Joey wore as part of the costume. He quickly threw his fake sword to the ground next to him and took Yugi's outstretched hands to help him stand up again.  
  
"Thanks." He said, picking up his sword again. "So you don't like the costume?"  
  
"Oh, no, Joey. I like the costume. I just never expected to see you as a knight."  
  
"And why not?" Joey said, standing up straight and pretending to swing his sword. "Knights are noble, handsome, and are definite ladie's men! I'm perfect to be a knight!"  
  
"Um, yes, of course you are, Joey! Ha ha ha!"  
  
"Hey, look, it's Tea and Raya. Wow, check out the costumes!"  
  
Tea and her close friend, Raya, were on the other side of the street waiting to cross. Raya's golden brown hair was brushed out long and straight and her costume seemed to be one of an Egyptian queen. She wore a long white tunic with a golden sash and thick gold earrings with a matching necklace, decorated with mysterious hieroglyphics. A golden snake armlet glittered from her left arm and several large scarab rings glistened from her gold-painted fingernails. Tea stood next to her in full ballerina costume, wearing an elegant pale blue leotard with long, thick strips of silk that hung from her waistline, down to her knees. Her hair was put up into a perfect bun and tiny rhinestones glittered brilliantly in her hair. Both girls were strikingly beautiful.  
  
"Wow, they look great. Too bad Grandpa can't be here to see!"  
  
"What? Your grandpa's not around?"  
  
"No, he had some important meeting to go to."  
  
"Hey guys!" called Raya as the girls were crossing the street.  
  
"Hey, Raya. Hi, Tea."  
  
"Hey, Yugi, you ever notice that their names rhyme?"  
  
"What does that have to do with anything, Joey Wheeler?" scolded Tea.  
  
"Nothing. I just thought it was funny. Ya know, Raya and Tea. Ha ha."  
  
"Give him credit, Tea. At least he was intelligent to figure out that our names rhyme!" joked Raya.  
  
"Hey! That's not fair!"  
  
"You know I'm joking, Joey. We all love you!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I've heard that one before. So, what's with the cat, anyway?"  
  
"This is Tea's cat, Snowball. I'm borrowing him for the night to make my costume complete. You know, the Egyptians worshipped cats."  
  
"Yeah, Cleopatra, I know that. So, did you and Yugi here plan your costumes together or something? He's an Egyptian pharaoh and you're the queen. Too weird."  
  
Yugi and Raya smiled at each other, laughing. "No, Joey, strangely, we didn't. It's a coincidence."  
  
"That's really strange, you guys. So, hey, where are Tristan and Bakura?"  
  
"We're right behind you."  
  
"Ah! Tristan! Don't sneak up on me like that!"  
  
**CLANK**  
  
"Owwwwww!" Joey fell over again. Much to his dismay, everyone was laughing hysterically at him.  
  
"Come on, Joey" Yugi said, helping his friend up again. "Let's get going before you really hurt yourself. You know, you really better practice your walking skills before we get to the party. You don't want to fall over right in front of her!"  
  
~~  
  
A half hour later, Yugi and his friends arrived at the annual Domino City Halloween party. There were so many people there, many of which they all knew from school. Joey, however, was searching for one girl in particular.  
  
"Joey Wheeler, is that you underneath all that tin?"  
  
Joey turned around to see none other than Mai Valentine, or should we say, 'Madonna', standing behind him, hands on hips, a confident grin across her red lips. Joey looked up at her, noticing how much taller than him she was because of the high-heeled black leather boots she was wearing. He suddenly wished that he had not come at all, she looked so gorgeous! How could he think she ever would find him attractive, even dressed as a 'knight in shining armor'?  
  
"Hey, Mai. Yeah, it's me all right. You look, uh, really nice."  
  
Mai smiled and flipped her hair over her shoulder, batting her thick eyelashes at him and laughing. "Thank you, Joey. You look very uncomfortable."  
  
Joey's heart sank. Uncomfortable? That didn't exactly sound like a compliment. What was he thinking? There she stood, in a tiny black mini- skirt, classic Mai-style, wearing a glittery sequined top and a black sequined cowboy hat. She was standing so close that he could smell her perfume, which smelled somewhat like cinnamon.  
  
"But you know what? You should keep this lifted." She said, lifting the faceplate on his helmet. "It's easier for people to see your eyes that way."  
  
"Uh, thanks, Mai." He stammered. "Hey, you think maybe-"  
  
"Mai! Hey, over here!" a girl called from the other side of the room. Mai smiled at Joey and winked at him. He could hardly believe his eyes.  
  
"See you later, Joey. I've gotta catch up with my friend."  
  
And away she walked. Joey's heart was racing. What in the world was that all about? Why would she be concerned about people being able to see his eyes? Was it she that wanted to see his eyes? And why did she wink? And why did he not make his move while he had a chance?  
  
'This is too stressful' he thought. 'I need some candy.'  
  
"Hey, Joey, you want some punch?"  
  
"Thanks, Tristan." Joey walked over to where Tristan was standing and held out his metal-gloved hand to reach for the cup. "There's no way I can hold the cup with this thing on." He tried yanking the glove off, but it was stuck! He pulled harder and harder until it came flying off and smashed to the ground with a loud **SMASH**.  
  
"Oh no, Joey, you scared Snowball!" Raya yelled, as the kitten jumped out of her arms and ran across the floor amongst all the costumed people, nearly running over Bakura in the process. Tea screamed.  
  
"Snowball! Oh no, somebody catch him!"  
  
"I'm on it!" Bakura replied. He had no idea where to begin looking, but Joey certainly couldn't move around very well in his costume and Tristan was holding the drinks. Besides, he was the closest to where the kitten ran to so it was easiest for him to go.  
  
Bakura ran through the crowd of people trying to catch up with the kitten, who was racing about, obviously terrified to be away from his 'Mommy'. Finally, the kitten slowed down as he ran toward a girl standing by herself in the corner of the room. She was dressed in a green medieval gown and wore a small golden crown, her long auburn hair flowing down the length of her back. As Bakura approached the girl, he noticed that she looked very sad and confused, and he wondered why it was the girl was here by herself. Who would come to a party alone? He walked up to her and quite suddenly felt a complete absence of courage as he noticed how kind her smile was.  
  
"Hello," she said quietly, smiling cheerfully at him. There was something about her that was almost familiar, that struck something deep inside him as his eyes met the round green emeralds of hers. He felt speechless, bewildered, unsure of whether this sensation was pleasant or not. What exactly was it?  
  
"Um, hello," Bakura started, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the look in her eyes. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I think that cat behind you belongs to a friend of mine."  
  
She looked behind her and laughed, her long silky hair falling over her shoulders as she bent down to pick up the kitten. When she stood back up, she was smiling joyfully and petting the small animal with much affection. Bakura couldn't help but notice that the color of her eyes matched the deep green of the velvet gown she wore.  
  
"She's beautiful," the girl commented. "What's her name?"  
  
"Who? Oh, uh, the kitten, you mean? It's a boy, his name is Snowball."  
  
"Well, I think Snowball here misses you, Mr.?"  
  
"Oh, uh, Bakura! I mean, Bakura is my first name, that is."  
  
"Well, Bakura, my name is Adele. It's nice to meet you. Take good care of this little guy." She said, handing him the kitten. "Ya know, he sorta looks like you. All fluffy-like."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Oh," she giggled. "Nevermind. Well, I guess you need to get back to your friends, huh?"  
  
"Yes, yes, I do. It was nice meeting you, Adele."  
  
"As it was you, Bakura."  
  
Bakura turned around walked slowly back to where his friends were standing, watching him attentively. Yugi, Joey, and Tristan all smiled at him knowingly as Raya reached out quickly for her lost pet.  
  
"Snowball! I'm glad you are all right! Thank you, Bakura." She said, turning to Bakura.  
  
"Yeah, Raya, but I doubt Bakura minded the trip." Smirked Joey.  
  
"What do you mean, Joey?"  
  
"What I mean, man, is that you were seriously staring at that girl over there! Come on, buddy! You don't have to hide it from us!"  
  
"Oh my, was it that noticeable?"  
  
"Don't be shy, Bakura, why didn't you ask her to come over with us? It looks like she is here alone."  
  
"Yeah," remarked Yugi. "It's always nice to make new friends. Besides, how much fun could she be having all by herself?"  
  
"No, you don't understand." Bakura said. "It wasn't like that. There was something odd about her, I can't quite place it. It's almost as if I already know her from somewhere."  
  
"Wow, that's totally weird, Bakura. But it looks like you're too late for explanations. Tristan is on his way over there already!"  
  
"Tristan, no! Wait!" shouted Bakura. But Tristan only turned around, smiling, and gave him a thumbs-up.  
  
'Oh, how embarrassing.'  
  
Bakura did his best to act casual and not to blush as Tristan and Adele walked back over to the group. Adele was smiling brightly and immediately introduced herself to the others, thanking them for inviting her along. Bakura glanced at Tristan who was raising his eyebrows and smiling, obviously thinking he had done Bakura some great favor.  
  
"Didn't you come with anybody?" asked Yugi.  
  
"Oh, I did, but they already left. I was just about to leave also, even though I didn't really want to. But now that I have someone to keep me company, I am glad to stay."  
  
"Well, that's great." Remarked Tea. "We're glad you joined us! And so is Snowball!"  
  
Joey rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, Tea, it's just a cat! He can't really talk, ya know!"  
  
"Of course I know that!" Tea snapped at him. "How stupid do you think I am?"  
  
"Do you really want me to answer that?"  
  
"Oooh! Will you just shut up already!"  
  
The others laughed at Joey's mischief as Adele looked over at Bakura, smiling as usual.  
  
"Your friends were very kind to invite me along. I'm happy to get to talk to you again. I wanted to ask you something."  
  
"Ask me something? What is it?"  
  
"Where did you get your costume? It's so original! I especially like the necklace, it looks like it's actually real gold!"  
  
"My necklace? Oh, this." Bakura remembered he was wearing his Millenium Ring. "I found it in an antique shop. Thought it would go well with the costume."  
  
"Well, it really does. You are a very convincing Sorcerer!"  
  
Bakura smiled at the compliment. "Thank you. I like your costume as well. What made you decide to go as a princess?"  
  
Adele laughed. "I don't know, maybe the hope that I would find a prince here?"  
  
Joey, overhearing the comment, jumped at this opportunity to help out his buddy. "Well, ya see, Adele, that's perfect! Cuz Bakura here just happens to think-"  
  
"What are you doing, Joey?!" Bakura cut in, clamping his hand over Joey's mouth.  
  
"Aw, come on! I was just trying to-"  
  
"Come on, Joey!" Tea said, grabbing Joey's arm and saving Bakura from further embarrassment. "I need you for something."  
  
"What do you need?"  
  
"Here. Babysit Snowball. Raya and I are going for some punch."  
  
"Agh! NO! You want me to hold this fur ball? Be serious, Tea!"  
  
"Shhhhh!"  
  
Bakura laughed nervously, fiddling with his Millenium Ring. He appreciated his friends trying to help him talk to a girl, but they simply didn't understand. They didn't know what it was like to live with what he knew about himself. Bakura couldn't, wouldn't get close to anybody. Never again. Not after what happened.  
  
"Bakura? Is everything all right?"  
  
"Oh, yes, yes, I'm fine. I apologize, I'm a little distracted."  
  
"That's okay." She said, pausing a moment before continuing. "Hey, I noticed from your accent that you are not from here. Could you be from England as well?"  
  
"Why, yes I am, actually. That's where you are from?"  
  
"Yes, I am from Worcester, in fact. Do you know of it?"  
  
"Yes! I used to live in that same area! What a small world!"  
  
"Yes, a small world indeed."  
  
"So what brings you to Domino City?"  
  
"Well, I guess you could say I have some research to do and Domino City is the only place in the world that can give me access to what I need. I've finished high school early back home so that I could move here for awhile and get everything done that I need."  
  
"Wow, you finished early?"  
  
"Yes, it was intense for awhile and I had no summer breaks, but I was able to finish a year early. I really just wanted to get started on my research."  
  
"Sounds important! I guess you never had much time for fun, then?"  
  
"Not really. Not until recently, that is. I have made a few friends since I moved here and it's great to be able to spend time on something other than schoolwork again!"  
  
"I guess so! Hey, why don't we go and try some of the contests over there?"  
  
"Sounds great!"  
  
"Come on, everyone! Let's go see who can win the most games!"  
  
The remainder of the party was spent between the group of friends with laughter, candy, and lots of bobbing for apples. Joey was convinced that if he couldn't be the Duel Master Champion, then apple-bobbing was his true calling in life. He could be the Apple Bobbing Champion!  
  
"Hey, guys! Check it out! THREE apples, I got! Try to beat that!"  
  
Bakura lifted his head from the tub of water he had his face in. "Good job, Joey, but I've already got my third as well!"  
  
"What?! No way! Well, I'm not finished yet, ya know. I'm going for a fourth!"  
  
Everyone laughed as Joey plunged his head back into the tub, desperately attempting to retrieve another apple. Bakura hadn't noticed as Adele came up next to him, pushing aside the snowy white wet hair that had been sticking to the side of his face.  
  
"Oh, Adele, ha ha, thank you." He smiled.  
  
Adele only looked at him with a curious expression upon her face, a tiny smile curling on her pink lips. There was something about her eyes.it almost seemed as if she were searching for something in his face. Could he just be imagining things? Her cheeks had become a rosy pink from the cold water of the apple-tub, and she had taken off her tiny golden crown, making her eyes stand out even more so than before.  
  
"Bakura," she started, handing him a towel from a nearby table so that he could dry his face. "I've had a very nice time with you and your friends. I want to thank you again for inviting me along."  
  
"Oh really, we are glad you came. Besides, Tristan is the one you should be thanking for the invite."  
  
Adele smiled. "Well, all of you have been very kind. However, I must be getting home."  
  
"That's fine, I understand. Do you need someone to walk you home? It's quite dark out."  
  
"No, thank you. I don't live far at all. But I want to ask you and your friends something before I go."  
  
"Sure, Adele, what is it?"  
  
"Well, I'm having a few friends over my house tomorrow night and I'd like to invite you all to come as well."  
  
"Sounds great! I'll tell the others."  
  
"Wonderful! Here is my phone number. Call me tomorrow so I can tell you how to get to my house."  
  
"All right."  
  
"Leaving so soon?" said Tristan, cutting in.  
  
"Yes, Tristan. I'm afraid I have some stuff to work on tonight before I can get to bed. But I have just told Bakura that you all should come over my house tomorrow night. I'm having some friends over and I'd love for you all to meet!"  
  
"Sounds like fun. We'll be there."  
  
"Great! Bakura has the details. I will see you all tomorrow then!"  
  
She waved to the others as they called their goodbyes to her and Bakura watched as she turned around and walked away, her long auburn hair blowing softly in the late October breeze as she opened the door to leave. Tristan walked up behind Bakura and jokingly slapped him on the back.  
  
"Don't worry, buddy. You'll get to see her again tomorrow."  
  
"No, Tristan. It's not like that, really. There is something strange about her, I can't quite place it."  
  
"Sure, there is." He said, winking. "We'll just see about that, won't we?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so, Tristan." Bakura answered, not really meaning what he said. Something made him uneasy about this girl. Something that made him fear her yet want to know her more all at the same time. He guessed Tristan was right, they would just have to see.  
  
"Hey, guys, look!" remarked Joey. "It's Kaiba!"  
  
"Wow, who would have thought he would show up at a party?"  
  
"Yeah, I know, Tea. And he's not in costume, either."  
  
"Yeah, Tristan, but you think he would have at least dressed up as a sea- horse! I mean, after all, that is what his name means!"  
  
Everyone laughed at Joey's antics. It was simply impossible not to love the guy!  
  
"Come on, Joey, I think it's time we go back home."  
  
"Good call, Yug. Let's call it a night, shall we?" ~  
  
That's it so far! Please review! --LA 


	3. If You Only Knew

Fallen Angels-Chapter Three: If You Only Knew  
  
By Lady Armandina  
  
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, except for Adele. Raya belongs to Anya (go read her Yugi fanfics!).  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"You sure this is the place?"  
  
"Yes, Joey. This is where she said she lived."  
  
"Well, I guess we should knock, then." Said Yugi.  
  
Yugi knocked on the door of the small, tattered house they stood in front of. He couldn't help but notice that the stairs he stood on were cracked and the dark blue paint on the house was chipping badly. This place could certainly use some fixing up, but that didn't mean they couldn't have fun there.  
  
Within a few moments, Adele appeared, smiling, at the front door.  
  
"Yugi, Joey, Tea! I'm so glad you could make it! Bakura, Tristan, come in!"  
  
"Thanks for inviting us, Adele."  
  
"You are always welcome here, Yugi. All of you are. Not everyone is here yet, a few others are coming too."  
  
"Anyone we might know?"  
  
"I'm not sure, Tristan. Well, you might knock my friend, Mai. She's already graduated, but she lives in town."  
  
"Mai?" Joey questioned, suddenly very interested. "You mean Mai Valentine?"  
  
"Yes, that's her, Joey. She's a good friend of mine. You are friends with her as well?"  
  
"Who? Me? Ah, no, not really. I mean, uh, I know her and all. I mean, I've seen her around-"  
  
"It's okay, buddy." Remarked Tristan. "We all know how much you like her!" Everyone began to laugh.  
  
"What? Are you crazy? That egotistical-"  
  
"Hottie?" finished Tea. The others roared with laughter.  
  
"That's not what I was going to say!"  
  
"Wow, Joey. It's pretty bad when even Tea starts in on you!"  
  
"Aw, Tristan, lay off, will ya? I mean, yeah, she's a good-lookin' girl and all, but-"  
  
"But what?"  
  
"But she drives me crazy!"  
  
"And who, pray tell, would that be, Joseph Wheeler?"  
  
Everyone turned around to see none other than Mai herself, standing in the doorway behind them. Joey went pale, and then deep red, realizing she had probably been standing there the entire time. Of course! This was just his luck!  
  
"Mai! You made it!'  
  
"Of course I did, Adele. And, oh, I hope you don't mind. I brought Seto along!"  
  
"Of course not! I'm so glad you brought him!"  
  
"Seto! You've gotta be kidding me!" Joey blurted. "Tell me it's not the same guy I'm thinking of!"  
  
Before Mai could answer, in walked Seto Kaiba behind her. "Yes, dog, it's me. You have a problem with that?"  
  
"Problem? No way! I just think it's funny that the two biggest ego- maniacs I've ever known are on a date! Mister and Mrs. Elegant Egotist!"  
  
"Why, Joey, you think I'm 'elegant'?" Mai smiled, flipping her hair. "I suppose I should be flattered!"  
  
"Say all you want, Wheeler, she's here with me!"  
  
Mai turned around and flashed a glare at Seto. "And what makes you think you can talk about me like that?!"  
  
"Come on, guys! Please don't fight!"  
  
"Hmph," Mai shrugged, crossing her arms and turning her back to Kaiba. "I have no idea what I was thinking coming her with him!"  
  
"What you were thinking is that it's the best decision you've made since you stopped hanging out with Yugi and the others."  
  
"Seto!" Adele shrieked. "I'll have you know they are my friends too! And I won't stand here and let you insult them!"  
  
Seto only smirked and walked away. "Very well then, Adele."  
  
"Damn him," remarked Mai. "Why is he like that? He can be such a nice person and then the next minute, cold as ice!"  
  
"Mai, you know he hasn't been very pleasant since what happened to Mokuba."  
  
"What's that, Adele?" questioned Tristan. "What happened to Mokuba?"  
  
"It happened about three months ago." Adele started. "You remember The Big Five?"  
  
"Yeah," said Joey. "Those are the guys that used to work for Kaiba, until Pegasus took over Kaiba Corporation. Except when Kaiba came back, they still turned their backs on him, continued to work for Pegasus and tried to trap Kaiba inside his own video game."  
  
"Right. Well, The Big Five is still affiliated with Maxamillion Pegasus. Even though Pegasus is currently a bit 'ill', they are continuing to act out his wishes to overthrow Kaiba. Their plan is to find a way to get rid of Seto permanently so that they could regain control over Kaiba Corporation."  
  
"But why would they still want control over his company?" asked Joey. "I thought Pegasus only took over the company so that he could use the technology to bring back his dead wife, Cecelia. When Yugi beat him , I thought he gave up hope on ever bringing her back."  
  
"We're not totally sure why," answered Mai. "but it seems that they are trying to regain power to Pegasus, this time for their own reasons. But you know Pegasus, he thrives on power. He may have been beaten once, but we all know that he's not going to go down again so easily. Whatever reason they have for taking control over Kaiba Corp is sure to be a bad one. They can't be trusted."  
  
"So how does Mokuba fit into this?" asked Tea.  
  
"Seto had been busy in meetings that day," Adele started, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "He was out of town and left Mokuba in charge for the day when some of The Big Five's henchmen arrived. Mokuba tried to stand up to them, but it was no good. Kaiba's guards got there just in time to see Mokuba get shot. Although Mokuba lost a lot of blood when he was shot, that isn't the worst part. As he fell over, he hit his head really hard and suffered from serious brain trauma. He's been in a coma ever since."  
  
"Mokuba is in a coma?" shrieked Tea, nearly in tears.  
  
"Oh dear, Seto must be devastated."  
  
"That he is, Bakura."  
  
"Adele, is there anything we can do to help?"  
  
"Unfortunately, Yugi, you know how Seto is. He refuses any help or sympathy from anyone. He doesn't even want anyone to know about it, really."  
  
"I don't get it, Adele," remarked Tristan. "If he doesn't want anyone to know about this, how do you know so much about it?"  
  
"Actually, Seto and I have known each other for some time now. I guess you could say I found out by accident, but he strictly forbids speaking about it at all. He's completely caught up on revenge right now and won't rest until he can find The Big Five and make them pay for this."  
  
"This is so terrible," said Tea, wiping at her tear-filled eyes. "We have to do something to help!"  
  
"What we can do is just keep an eye out for now. If we say anything to Seto about this, he's likely to get even more angry. I say we do some investigating of our own and see if there's any way we can help lead Seto in the right direction without letting him know that we knew about this."  
  
"And how are we going to do that, Tristan?" asked Yugi.  
  
"Well, for starters, we can keep a watch over the Kaiba Corporation building. If The Big Five are going to show up again, that's where we will find them."  
  
"Great idea," said Joey. "But there's not much we can do right now. So, I say, in the meantime, we just play it cool."  
  
"Yes, Joey. We should plan this later when Seto isn't quite so near. Maybe I can help you all with your investigating. Can we talk about it later?"  
  
"That's fine, Adele. Any help we all can come up with is at least something, right?"  
  
"Right! I'm glad you guys could make it over today. I'm going to start a movie in a few minutes if you want to follow me to the living room."  
  
"All right."  
  
Everyone started to follow Adele into the other room, except for Mai, who continued to stand where she was. As Joey walked past her, she grabbed his arm gently and looked at him imploringly. "Can we talk one minute?"  
  
"Sure, Mai. What do you want?"  
  
"I, well, I want to apologize to you. For the way Seto acted."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous. That's not your place to apologize for him. Besides, I'm used to him by now."  
  
"I know, but you shouldn't have to put up with that from him."  
  
"Don't worry about it. I just don't understand why you would want to date him. You're so much better than he is."  
  
Mai blushed and tried to hold back a smile. "You really think so?"  
  
"Absolutely. I do believe he's a good guy, somewhere really, really deep inside. Maybe so deep that we'll never see it. Oh, hell. But still, you're a much better person than him, all around. You deserve better."  
  
"Really, Joey Wheeler?" Mai said, curiously. "So, what or who exactly do you think I do deserve?"  
  
"Well," Joey started, looking down. "Nobody that I can think of, unfortunately. Just, I don't know, look out for better guys, okay? I'm sure there's someone out there who can treat you with the respect you deserve."  
  
"Thank you, Joey. That means a lot to me."  
  
"Yeah, don't mention it. Let's go watch that movie, okay? Seto is probably looking for you, anyway."  
  
"What makes you think that?"  
  
Joey's eyes met hers directly and Mai swore that she could see a sense of longing in them. "Because. If I were here with a girl like you, there's no way I'd want to be away from you, not even for a second."  
  
"A girl like me?"  
  
"Hey, Joey! Are you coming or not?" yelled Tristan from the other room. "We're gonna watch The Outsiders! I love this movie!"  
  
"I'm coming!" Joey yelled back. He turned to Mai again. "Come on. They're waiting for us."  
  
Mai smiled and decided to let the conversation lie where it was. Besides, she didn't want to read too much into what Joey was saying. At least not yet. She wasn't sure what his words meant, if they meant anything at all. Most guys only wanted to date her because she was so beautiful, and Seto surely wasn't any different. She felt like nothing more than a prize to guys like that. But Joey challenged her, knew how to push her buttons. While it was obvious that he found her attractive, there was something more to it than that. Their 'friendship' had started out as more of a rivalry and as they began to know each other a little better, Joey's words of faith and his perseverance as a duelist began to make sense to her. He inspired her, and that was something very hard to come by for Mai. Her respect for him began to grow, but she had always felt that his respect for her had grown less and less. Now, it seemed that that was not true.  
  
~*~  
  
"That was a great movie, Adele. I'm glad we all came over to watch it."  
  
"Thanks, Mai! I'm glad too. I hope you all liked it."  
  
"I would have had a much better time if it weren't for these nuisances being here. Why would you call them your friends, Adele? I thought you had better taste than that."  
  
"Would you forget it, Seto? If you don't like them, you didn't have to stay!"  
  
"Shut up, Mai! I wasn't even speaking to you. If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it."  
  
At those words, Joey's face grew crimson with anger. "Now just wait one minute, Kaiba! You come in here, disrespecting Adele, who is supposed to be your friend, in her own house. On top of it all, you sit there and insult a woman who is clearly out of your league, a woman so much better than you! What makes you think you have the right?!"  
  
Seto smirked. "What, you think she is in your league? Keep dreaming, Wheeler. You're nothing more than a dog, she would never give you the time of day."  
  
"Why don't you let a lady speak for herself!" interrupted Mai. "On the contrary, Joey is more of a man than you'll ever be. You need to take a good long look at yourself in the mirror, Seto. If you have any heart at all, you won't like what you see. You know, I was wrong about you. I thought I saw something inside of you. Something good. I know now that I was a fool to think that. There are other people out there who will treat me better than you ever could. Don't bother calling me ever again."  
  
"Fine, have it your way. My mistake, I thought you were a woman of class. If I would have known you prefer lowlife animals, I would not have wasted my time with you."  
  
"Lowlife animals!? That's it, Kaiba! You're asking for it!" Joey started at Kaiba, but was held back immediately by Tristan and Bakura. "Let me go!"  
  
"Joey, this is ridiculous," said Bakura. "Just forget him, he's not worth it!"  
  
"Not worth it, eh Bakura?" taunted Seto. "This coming from the pathetic loser who made it to the duelist tournament, yet never even battled for any star chips? Tell me, what was the point in taking Pegasus up on his offer if you knew you weren't nearly good enough to even participate in the finals?"  
  
Bakura never was one to have a bad temper, but those words inflamed him more than anyone could tell. The truth was, he was an excellent duelist. There was a reason that he refused to duel. A reason Seto could never begin to understand.  
  
"What's the matter, Britain? Did I strike a nerve?"  
  
"Forget it Seto, you're not going to make me angry!"  
  
"I think I already did, though. You knew you weren't good enough to take anybody on, is that it?"  
  
"That's not it at all! I know that I could have done quite well if I had tried!"  
  
"Even against someone like me?"  
  
"Especially you!" Bakura hissed, glaring.  
  
"Seto, stop it!" screamed Adele, noticing the immediate and frightening change in Bakura's attitude.  
  
"No way. I'm enjoying this way too much. I think Snow White here thinks he can actually take me on, and you know I'm not one to ever refuse a duel, especially one I'm sure to win!"  
  
"You want to duel, my friend? I'd be glad to take you up on that offer! Just hope that luck is on your side today!" mocked Bakura. He released his grip from Joey's shoulder and pulled his card deck out of his pocket.  
  
"You've got a deal." Smirked Seto. Everyone around them stood by in surprise, not knowing how to react to this crazy situation. Bakura took a step forward and sneered at Seto.  
  
"Wonderful, then. It's time to duel!" 


	4. It's Time to Duel

Fallen Angels-Chapter Four: It's Time to Duel!  
  
By Lady Armandina  
  
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, I'm just borrowing them, hehehe. Adele is an original character and Raya belongs to Anya (read her fan fics!).  
  
Author's Note: I realize that some of the rules here during the duel may be incorrect. I have combined the rules from the TV series plus the actual card game rules in order to write this duel. I did not use the Tributing system either.  
  
~*~  
  
Joey, Tristan, Tea, Yugi, Adele, and Mai all stood around the wooden table in Adele's kitchen, hoping for some way to stop the fight that had broken out between Seto and Bakura. Seto stood on one side of the table, shuffling his cards and preparing for the duel while Bakura stood there, glaring furiously at Seto with a sly smile spread across his lips.  
  
"Bakura! You can't do this!" pleaded Yugi.  
  
"On the contrary, I most certainly can!"  
  
"This is nuts, man!" said Joey. "You're a good player, Bakura, but Kaiba's deck is so much stronger than yours! You won't stand a chance if he pulls out his Blue Eyes!"  
  
Inwardly, Bakura laughed. They all had no idea of his true reason for battling Seto. Seto thought he was so superior to the others, as if he ruled over them all. But he was soon to learn his lesson. There was only one man who would rule over the world and soon Seto would know this as well!  
  
"Bakura, listen to me," Adele said, gripping his arm firmly. "I know Seto's being a jerk, but please let me handle it! This isn't necessary!"  
  
"Stand back, Adele. It's time he's learned his lesson, and I shall be the one to teach him!"  
  
Everyone stood around in awe, as Seto pulled out a coin and smirked. "So, heads or tails?"  
  
"No need to flip, Seto. You can go first." Bakura smiled.  
  
"All right, you fool. Have it your way. But you're making a mistake. Not only will you lose, but now you will lose the game that much faster!"  
  
As Seto and Bakura drew their first five cards, there was a knock at the front door. Adele quickly rushed away to answer it, hoping that it would be someone who could possibly stop the madness of this duel.  
  
"Adele! Hello, I'm sorry we arrived late, we had some important business to take care of. This is Yami."  
  
"Raya! Hello! Thank God you are both here!" she said, panicked.  
  
"What is wrong, Adele?" questioned Yami.  
  
"It's Bakura and Seto! They are dueling!"  
  
"Well, what is wrong with that?" asked Raya. "Other than the fact that Bakura doesn't stand a chance, that is."  
  
"No, it's not a friendly duel! Bakura got all, I don't know, weird.and then he challenged Seto to a duel because Seto insulted his dueling abilities! I have such a bad feeling about this! We have to do something!"  
  
"Calm down, Adele. There is no reason to panic. We'll figure something out. Let's go."  
  
They rushed to the other room just in time to see Seto lay down his first card. Since nobody had any special dueling technology with them, they had to play this game normally, just with cards on a table. There were no holographic projections to battle one another, but this didn't seem to affect the mood of those who watched. The anticipation factor was definitely the same.  
  
"First, I play Battle Ox, with an attack of 1700, in attack mode!"  
  
"And you end your turn, I assume?"  
  
"Yes. See if you have something that could beat him down!"  
  
"Very well." Bakura smiled. "First, I lay down Angel's Gift, which allows me to draw three cards this turn, and discard two from my hand."  
  
"What good will that do you so early in the game? Are you that desperate already?"  
  
"Not quite. Next, I lay down this card, in defense position, and I end my turn."  
  
"Fine." Seto said, smiling. "Looks like whatever you lay face down couldn't take down my Battle Ox. I'm not surprised! I expect there aren't many cards in your weak deck that can come close to taking down any of my cards. This should be a quick and painless match, don't you agree?"  
  
Seto drew another card. "Hah! First, I play Ookazi, attacking you directly for 800 Life Points! Now I play La Jinn, in attack mode! His 1800 points of attack will take down whatever card you have face down!"  
  
"Very well, I'll take the 800 damage, however, my face down card is Man- Eater Bug, and it's effect allows me to destroy one monster card on the field! I choose to destroy Battle Ox! Since you already attacked with La Jinn this turn, he can't attack again. That ends your turn!"  
  
"That was an interesting move in order to prolong Seto's attacks," said Yami. "but the truth is, this duel should not be occurring in the first place. Bakura, you have to stop this! You shouldn't be fighting! This is useless!"  
  
Bakura turned and glared at Yami. "What makes you think you can stop me? This is just a duel, Yami, something you should be quite familiar with. Do you not remember a duel we had once? I had quite the advantage over you! You seem to think that I lack the capability to defeat Seto Kaiba, when I once came so close to beating you!"  
  
"You don't need to prove anything to anybody, Bakura! We all know you are a good duelist! Now let it go!" Tea called to him.  
  
"A good duelist?" mocked Kaiba. "You have to be kidding me! Look at how weak his cards are!"  
  
"Unfortunately, Kaiba, you know that it is not the strength of the cards you play, but the power that they hold within! The power of my cards shall overcome the strength of yours!"  
  
"Is that all you have in store for me? I can just take you down next turn, if you want to play it that way."  
  
"You can try!" mocked Bakura. "But now, I lay this card, face down in defense position. I also lay down this magic card, and end my turn."  
  
"Do all you want, fool. Now, this game ends! I summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon! In attack mode! This game isn't nearly as fun without the holographic projections, but it will still be just as much fun beating you! Go, Blue Eyes! Attack his face down card!"  
  
"Attack away, Seto. I active my face down magic card, Just Desserts, causing 500 points of damage to you for every card on your field!"  
  
"A lot of good that will do you. Now that my Blue Eyes is out, there is nothing you can do to stop him!"  
  
"True, for now. But, the card you attacked was Morphing Jar. When it is attacked, all cards in both players' hands go directly to the graveyard. We now draw five new cards."  
  
"I know how the effect works, fool. I don't know why you are so cocky about this. I may be at 1000 life points, but you are only 200 points ahead of me. I can take you down and attack you directly next turn!"  
  
"Do whatever you want, Kaiba. But for my next turn, I lay down this magic card. Next, I summon the demon temptress, the beautiful Dark Necrophia, in attack mode! She has 2200 attack, and your Battle Ox only has 1700. I will attack your Battle Ox for 500 points of damage to you!"  
  
"You idiot. What is the point in doing that?"  
  
"Seto is right." Remarked Joey. "What is Bakura thinking? Seto has Blue Eyes on the field! His attack is higher than Dark Necrophia! Seto can just take her out next turn!"  
  
"Maybe you should listen to your friend, Bakura. It seems for once, the dog has some amount of intelligence more than somebody else when it comes to dueling! You know next turn you will just lose 800 life points!"  
  
"Oh, my. I hadn't thought of that. Well, too late now. I end my turn."  
  
Seto drew his next card and smiled. "Well, well, well. Looks like I can have even more fun than I originally thought this turn! First, I summon Judge Man, and I use the magic card, Rush Recklessly, raising his attack power to 2900! Go, Judge Man! Attack Dark Necrophia!"  
  
"Oh no!" said Tea. "Bakura's field is wide open now! Seto can attack him with Blue Eyes and win the match!"  
  
"You're right, Tea." Said Yugi. "Bakura has only 500 life points now, equal to Seto's. If Seto attacks the field directly, which he is sure to do, Bakura loses the game!"  
  
"Wait, guys" said Tristan. "If he is going to lose, then why is Bakura smiling?"  
  
The others looked over at Bakura, who was grinning maliciously and laughing. His laugh sounded frightening, almost evil.  
  
'Oh no' thought Adele. 'What does he have in store for Kaiba?'  
  
~*~  
  
That's all for now! I know, it's a short chappie, but the next one will have more, I promise! Let me know what you think so far!--LA 


	5. Crawling in the Dark

Fallen Angels-Chapter Five: Crawling in the Dark  
  
By Lady Armandina  
  
Disclaimer: I said it before, I'll say it again. I only own Adele. Noone else is mine. Raya is property of Anya (go read her fan fics! They are soooooo awesome!) Also, if you want more info on Raya's powers, which are alluded to in this chapter, you will just have to read Family History, by Anya. Trust me, it's long, but well worth the read!  
  
Author's Note: I know the rules in the duel here may be different from the card game/TV series. I combined the rules of the two for my fic. Also, I know that many call Ryou the regular Bakura and Bakura the yami. I have switched it in my story, because that is what I have grown accustomed to. Sorry for any confusion!  
  
Also-Everyone, thanks for the reviews! I love getting them and I really appreciate the encouragement! I hope I don't let you down!  
  
~*~  
  
"Why are you laughing, fool? This is the last move in the game! You're going to lose!"  
  
"Not quite, Kaiba! You forgot about my face down magic card. I flip it now, it's the trap card, Dragon Capture Jar!"  
  
"NO!!!"  
  
"Oh, but yes! Your Blue Eyes cannot attack my field as you so wish to do! Instead, he must go into defense position, unless, of course, you get rid of my capture jar somehow."  
  
"No matter. There is more than one way to skin a cat, right? I can take you down with a different card next turn!"  
  
"There won't be a next turn, Kaiba! I use my Monster Reborn card, and bring back Dark Necrophia!"  
  
"That still can't take out Blue Eyes. His defense is 2500. And Judge Man has equal attack to your Dark Necrophia. They would just destroy each other and no one would take any damage to their life points."  
  
"You tell me something that I already am aware of. But, I also equip my Dark Necrophia with this card, Malevolent Nuzzler! This card increases her attack by 700 points! Go, Dark Necrophia! Attack Judge Man for 700 points of damage!"  
  
"No! This can't be!"  
  
"Yes, Seto, it is. You only had 500 life points left. This attack brings you down to 0! I win! It's over, Kaiba."  
  
Everyone gasped in surprise. It seemed so unlikely that Bakura would be able to take down Kaiba, yet, somehow, he managed to pull it off. Only one person in the group wasn't surprised. His violet eyes sparkled as he glanced over at Yami, who appeared to be just as surprised as the others. Yugi knew what was going on here, and he had to do something to stop it.  
  
"Bakura! That was awesome, man!" yelled Joey.  
  
"Yeah, you really took him by surprise!" said Tristan.  
  
Seto continued to glare at Bakura, clenching his fists in anger over his strange defeat. Amidst all the talking, nobody heard the small chiming sound coming from underneath Bakura's shirt.  
  
Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a large flash of light, followed by a cold chill in the entire room. A dark smoke filled the room setting off the fire alarm above. Everyone was prompted to run away, but as they started for the door, they were stopped by a frightening presence standing before them-it was Dark Necrophia!!!  
  
"Wha-wha-what is she doing out of her card!? I thought they didn't have the holographic projections!" stuttered Joey, backing away.  
  
"She is not holographic!" announced Bakura. "She is real! And she is here for the soul of Seto Kaiba!"  
  
"My soul!?"  
  
The demonic temptress floated over toward where Seto stood and hovered above him, raising her arms and letting out a loud, evil laugh. Seto looked up at her tall, pointed black boots and golden body armor. Her skin glowed with a malicious dark blue tinge as she glared down at him. Seto screamed. Somewhere across the room, a girl with violet eyes stared intently at the entire scene, not missing a second, not even blinking.  
  
"Raya, what are you doing? You have to get out of here!" screamed Tea.  
  
Raya did not respond, only continued to stare at Seto as he screamed and the Dark Necrophia chanted something in a loud, piercing voice that seemed to strike right through to the soul.  
  
"Stop." Raya muttered, and immediately, Dark Necrophia let out a blood- curdling scream, falling to the ground. Almost instantly afterward, Bakura lost consciousness and fell to the ground, collapsing against the wall with a loud thud.  
  
"Bakura! No!" screamed Adele, rushing to his aid. As she knelt down to try to revive him, he was already gaining consciousness.  
  
"What is going on?" he questioned, looking at the madness going on around him. "Oh, dear God, no."  
  
"Bakura, it's okay. Something happened, but it's all right now. You just need to rest right now. Come on."  
  
"No! No, I can't stay. I-I'm sorry, I must leave!"  
  
Before anyone could stop him, Bakura stood up, stumbling, and rushed out the back door of the house. Yugi quickly followed after him. "Bakura! Wait!"  
  
'I have to make him see! I have to make him understand!' thought Adele. She swiftly followed behind Yugi, in pursuit of Bakura. As she caught up to Yugi, she noticed that Bakura was nowhere in sight. 'Let me see.'  
  
"He's this way!" Adele called to Yugi.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"I just do! Come on!"  
  
They took a right out of Adele's back yard into the nearby forest which was thickly overgrown with bushes. "How could he possibly have made it through here already?" asked Yugi. "It's taking forever to get through!"  
  
"He took the other path, over there. But this way is a short cut and we can catch up to him more quickly."  
  
"Wow, you know a lot about the forest back here, don't you?"  
  
"I come out here often to think. It's so peaceful."  
  
As Yugi pushed his way through some more branches, he saw a flash of white hair only feet away. "Bakura!" he yelled, falling into the path and landing right on Bakura, who was now breathing heavily from running, a panicked expression on his face.  
  
"Yugi! What are you doing?"  
  
Adele pushed through the bushes and helped Yugi to his feet. "We were trying to find you, Bakura." She said, holding out her hand. "We're worried about you."  
  
Bakura would not take her hand. Instead, he remained sitting on the ground, catching his breath and staring down at the rocks and dirt of the path. He looked so helpless, so sad, sitting there. "I am all right, thank you. I don't want to hurt anyone so I want to be alone right now."  
  
Oh no, please don't hurt her. No, don't hurt anybody. Not anymore.  
  
"No, you don't." Adele said. Yugi stared at her in wonder. Why would she say something like that?  
  
"Yes, Adele, I do! Now, please, leave me be."  
  
"No, you don't, Bakura. You don't want to be alone anymore than you want to be possessed by that spirit. Let us help you. We're your friends."  
  
Bakura flinched and shut his eyes tight.  
  
It was cold and dark here. Cold like death. Dark like the very deepest night.  
  
"You barely know me!" Bakura said, glaring up at her. "Why on earth would you want to help me?"  
  
"Because, Bakura." she said, kneeling down next to him so that their faces were even with each other. "I know how you feel. More than you realize."  
  
No, no, this cannot be. You cannot do this. Stay back! Stay away! If you hurt her, I swear, I'll-  
  
Bakura looked at the pained expression in her eyes and could swear that somehow she was feeling exactly as he was right now. She looked panicked, worried, scared, and very lonely. But was he only imagining these things? How could she possibly be feeling the same way he felt?!  
  
"Take my hand, Bakura. Let me help you. Let me be your friend."  
  
Friend.  
  
Yugi watched in amazement as Bakura slowly, seemingly unsure of himself, placed his hand in Adele's and she helped him off the ground. They stood up together, still holding hands, looking at each other intently. Bakura seemed as though he was daydreaming. Adele appeared to be on the verge of tears.  
  
"Hey, guys, we should get back to the others, don't you think?" asked Yugi.  
  
"Yes.yes, we should, Yugi." Said Bakura, finally releasing his hand from Adele's. "I want to make sure everyone is all right."  
  
Go, you fool. But don't expect redemption.  
  
Bakura turned to Adele. "Can we talk for a bit?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"I'll run ahead to see the others." Said Yugi. "You guys catch up when you're done."  
  
"Thanks, Yugi." Bakura said, brushing off a few leaves from his jeans as Yugi walked away.  
  
"What's on your mind, Bakura?" asked Adele.  
  
"I want to explain something to you."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I consider you my friend. But I can't be your friend in the way that you expect."  
  
"I expect nothing from you, Bakura."  
  
"No, I mean, I'm not like other people are."  
  
"Nobody is the same as anyone else. Your point, Bakura?"  
  
"I don't get close friends! I mean, it's just not possible! I'm simply not capable of it."  
  
"You don't or you won't? You are very capable of it, Bakura, yet you hold yourself back. I'm here to show you that you don't have to do that. It doesn't have to be that way."  
  
"What can you possibly know about it? You know nothing about me!"  
  
"No, not yet. But I would love to know more. I understand your need for distance, but I refuse to let you isolate yourself to the point of loneliness. You don't have to be afraid. I'm not."  
  
"You're stubborn."  
  
"No, just headstrong."  
  
"Well, I can be headstrong too."  
  
"Yes, but I'll beat you at it any day."  
  
Bakura looked at her and noticed the expression of complete determination on her face. She was dead serious about this. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.  
  
"Bring it on."  
  
"You've got yourself a deal!" Adele laughed. "But I warn you, I put up quite a fight!"  
  
"I'm prepared to handle anything!" Bakura responded, finding himself also laughing.  
  
"I don't know what it is about you, Bakura, but something tells me there is much more to you than what you show others."  
  
"Isn't that how everyone is?"  
  
"To a point, yes. But with you, it's different. You have so much that you hold back. So many wonderful things."  
  
Bakura laughed. "How can you tell?"  
  
"It's in your eyes."  
  
"My eyes?"  
  
"Yes," she said, smiling at him as she pulled a leaf out of his hair. "There's so much there that you let nobody see."  
  
"Well, I could say the same for you, Adele. I know hardly anything about you."  
  
"We have all the time in the world to get to know each other better."  
  
"You're right."  
  
"Yes, I know. I always am!" she teased.  
  
"Hey! That's not fair!" He said, quickly grabbing a handful of fallen leaves from the ground and throwing them at her.  
  
"Very funny! Come on, Bakura. Let's get back to the others."  
  
"Good idea."  
  
As they walked back to the house, Bakura felt a strange sense of wonder like he hadn't felt since he was a child. He felt childlike and pure, and couldn't place why. He kept looking over at Adele, who seemed to be off in her own world as they walked. The autumn breeze blew softly through her hair and Bakura noticed that she shivered a little as the chill of it ran across her back.  
  
"Let's just make sure everyone is all right and then we can have some hot chocolate or something, okay?"  
  
"Adele, you really don't have to be so-"  
  
"I want to. I want to help you in any way I can."  
  
"But I don't need any help."  
  
"All right then, I just want to be your friend. Can you deal with that?"  
  
Bakura smiled. "Yes, yes, I can. I'd like that very much."  
  
Adele smiled in response. "Good. So would I."  
  
Walking inside, they saw Raya, Yami, and Yugi gathered near the fireplace and Joey, Tristan, and Tea sitting on the couch. Seto was nowhere to be seen, but Mai stood against the wall near where Seto had fallen. There was a large black burn stain on the rug where Dark Necrophia had fallen, yet the demon was no longer there. Everyone turned to look at Bakura and Adele as they entered.  
  
"Bakura! Are you all right!?" asked Tea.  
  
"Yeah, buddy," remarked Tristan. "You were acting all freaky on us again."  
  
"I'm fine, now." Responded Bakura. "I just want to make sure no one is hurt. Where is Seto?"  
  
"He left." Answered Mai. "He was fine, though. Muttered something about never wanting to speak to any of you again."  
  
"As if that would be a bad thing!" said Joey.  
  
"So how did Seto escape that freaky Necrophia thing, anyway?" asked Tristan. "Did anybody see?"  
  
Raya smiled. "I think that someone was protecting his soul."  
  
"What do you mean, Raya?"  
  
"Nothing, really. I'm just suggesting that maybe Necrophia couldn't steal his soul because something was protecting Kaiba."  
  
"Like what?" asked Tea.  
  
"What Raya is saying," started Yami. "Is that she used her powers to protect Seto from having his soul stolen. You know that Raya possesses great powers that pertain to the souls of human beings. Something in her will to protect Kaiba actually helped him. It's unexplainable, but that is what happened. I saw it in her eyes as it was happening."  
  
Raya looked at Yami and they shared a momentary knowing glance. "He's right. I wanted Kaiba to be okay and as I was concentrating on that thought, somehow, Necrophia fell to the ground."  
  
"That's really amazing," remarked Adele. "I mean, about your powers. I'm just really glad that Seto was not hurt."  
  
"Looks like the only thing that is hurt by this whole thing is Adele's poor carpet!" remarked Mai.  
  
"And Seto's ego!" laughed Joey.  
  
"True, Joey," said Bakura. "But Adele, I want to help you clean this place up. I'm afraid I've made a terrible mess of it. I'd also like to replace your carpet for you."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous." Adele answered. "I can get a new one, no problem at all."  
  
"No way," said Joey. "We all want to help, right guys? We were just talking about it before you came back. We were thinking about fixing up the place for you. You know, give the place a new paint job, rake the leaves. We might as well clean up the rug for you, too!"  
  
"That is very sweet of you all, but I assure you, it is not necessary!"  
  
"I'm afraid we've given you no choice." Remarked Yami, with a smile.  
  
"Why don't we start tomorrow after school?" said Yugi. "We should try to get some of it done before it's too cold outside."  
  
"Good idea, Yug." Joey said, standing up and walking to the spot on the rug. He knelt down and examined it. "This should be done right away, though. I'm sure Adele doesn't want her place smelling like smoke. Besides, I'm sure her parents won't be too excited about it, either!"  
  
Adele looked sad, suddenly. "That won't be a problem, Joey. My parents aren't here."  
  
"They're not?"  
  
"No, my mother died years ago and my father, well, he still lives in England."  
  
"I understand," said Raya. "You are independent just as I am."  
  
"I guess you could say that." Adele answered, smiling. "Yeah, sure, you could put it that way."  
  
"All the more reason for us to help you out, Adele. Do you mind if we start tomorrow?" said Tristan.  
  
"Not at all. This is so sweet, everyone. No one has ever done anything like this for me before."  
  
"We like to help out our friends." Said Bakura, turning to face Adele. They smiled at one another.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Bakura was grateful that everyone had been all right. They were all so understanding with him and he couldn't understand why. How could they possibly forgive him for what he had done? If they only knew.  
  
He pulled down the sheets to his bed and crawled inside, eager to get some sleep after such an insane day. He appreciated all the kindness his new friend Adele had shown him, but there was still something eerie about her. He couldn't place it. How could someone so kind and so caring be frightening to him? He had no idea why. It was better just to close his eyes and drift off to sleep. Think about it another day.  
  
*~*~*  
  
It was dark, so dark here. And cold, too. Where was this place, anyway? He had had this dream often lately, never knowing really where he was or why he had been dreaming he was there. And most of the time he couldn't remember falling asleep either. It was so very strange.  
  
It was cold like death, dark like the deepest night.  
  
The shadows seemed to creep around him, sucking him in until there was nothing left but the cold darkness. It almost seemed as if he were in a dark, damp cave. The only thing discernible was a few muffled sounds he could hear in the distance. He couldn't tell what was going on, or who was speaking, but he heard a woman's voice, and she sounded panicked for some reason.  
  
Wait! There was a scream! It was deafeningly loud, and seemed to be getting louder and louder, until.  
  
He woke up out of his 'dream', staring down at the terrifying scene before him. There she laid, his best friend, Celesta, curled up on the ground in fetal position. She was unconscious and shaking violently, covered in a cold sweat. Bakura felt his heart drop. What happened to her!? Was this still part of his dream? It felt more like a nightmare!  
  
"Celesta! Celesta, what happened?" Bakura tried to awaken her, pushing back the few pieces of golden hair that were sticking to the sweat on her forehead. "Celesta, please! Can you hear me?"  
  
There was no movement, no sign of life in the fallen girl. Bakura had no idea what he was going to do. How did he get here? Oh God, please, please tell him he wasn't responsible for whatever happened to his dear friend. He quickly retrieved a cold washrag to put on her forehead, hoping to help her in some way. That's when he noticed the deathly pale color of her once rose-petal lips.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
That's it for now! Please read and review! Love you all! --LA 


	6. Secrets

Fallen Angels-Chapter Six: Secrets  
  
By Lady Armandina  
  
Disclaimer: I said it before, I'll say it again. I only own Adele and Celesta. No one else is mine. (Okay, so I made up the name of Bakura's dad because I didn't know what it was.) Raya is property of Anya (go read her Yu-gi-oh fan fics! I command you!!! LOL)  
  
Author's Note: Also, I know that many call Ryou the regular Bakura and Bakura the yami. I have switched it in my story, because that is what I have grown accustomed to. Sorry for any confusion!  
  
Also-Everyone, thanks for the reviews! I love getting them and I really appreciate the encouragement! I hope I don't let you down! Any suggestions or *constructive* criticism is welcome!  
  
This is kind of a slower chapter. Somewhat angsty. The next chapter will be a mushy one. But, I promise you, things pick up after that! I just need this downtime in order to set things up for what's to come! Let me know what you think!  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Bakura sat on the edge of his large blue couch, paging through some old photo albums that he had since he was a child. It was only a month until Christmas and it seemed that every year at this time Bakura would miss his family the most. He was jealous of all the other families he knew. It seemed that they all were so close and saw each other so often.  
  
He flipped through the album and landed on a page where there were some Christmas pictures. One picture in particular caught his eye, it was one of he and his older sister when Bakura was only six years old.  
  
"Amane." he whispered her name.  
  
The picture was taken of the two siblings on Christmas Day ten years ago. Amane's long black wavy hair was pulled back into a pretty braid and she wore a Santa hat which flopped lazily down on one side. Bakura sat next to her in dark green footed pajamas, smiling joyously and resembling one of Santa's elves.  
  
Bakura smiled at the memories that came flooding back to him from that day.  
  
Amane had been so excited. She wanted a huge purple stuffed bear that she had seen at the toy store months ago and on Christmas morning, it was waiting for her under the tree with a big gold bow. Bakura had received a new robot action figure and was more than excited to add the toy to his growing collection. His mother sat, smiling, under the tree. She held a glass of egg nog and some chocolate chip cookies which she shared with her two children. Bakura could remember how her hair smelt like apples that day when he hugged her. His mother always smelt so pretty.  
  
But this was all so long ago. Long before his mother was taken away by a dreadful disease that came without warning and drained the life from her slowly. This was long before his father, in despair over his lost wife, threw himself totally into work as an archaelogist, leaving his children for months at a time with nobody but the butler and their finicky nanny to take care of them in a huge Victorian mansion. This was even before they had to leave that very mansion that Bakura had known his whole life, only to move to a new house to start over again in Japan, his father's home country. That old house held too many memories for his father to bear. Too many painful memories.  
  
Now, Amane was twenty years old and away at Oxford University in England, off on her own. She wrote letters to Bakura now and then, but never seemed to have time for much more than that. Bakura understood, though. College was supposed to be incredibly stressful.  
  
He hadn't heard from his father in several months. He was always so busy with work, or rather, made himself busy with it. It almost seemed as if he was avoiding Bakura, although he dreaded to think that could be true. But then again, why wouldn't he? Especially after what had happened that day four years ago.  
  
Without even hesitating, Bakura slammed the photo album shut with a loud thud. Leaning over the arm of the couch, he reached for the telephone and dialed the number without pausing for an instant. He knew that if he lingered for even a second, he would lose courage as he had done so many times before. The line rang three times and then someone picked up.  
  
"Hello. Hideaki Ryou speaking."  
  
"Father?"  
  
There was a momentary pause on the other end of the line, and then a small gasp of surprise and recognition.  
  
"Bakura? My son, why do you call? What is wrong?"  
  
"Nothing is wrong, Father. It's just that, well, Christmas is coming up in less than a month."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"And I was wondering, I mean, hoping that maybe you and Amane could be here, that we could all spend it together-as a family."  
  
"Son, you know I'm very busy with this dig site we've been working on here. Surely you have a friend that you can spend Christmas with?"  
  
"Yes, of course. I don't know what I was thinking."  
  
"Son, we talked about this before and I thought you understood."  
  
"Yes, I know Father."  
  
"You know how hard it is."  
  
"Yes, Father, I know. I'm very sorry."  
  
"Good then. Now, I have to get back to work. Have a good Christmas, Son."  
  
"Yes, Father. I hope you have the same."  
  
"Thank you. Good bye now."  
  
"Good bye."  
  
The sound of the click on the other end seemed to finalize it. Still, Bakura couldn't help pick up the letter he had received from Amane, telling him how Father had invited her to spend Christmas with him in Egypt this year. He knew they meant no harm. They were just afraid of him. He couldn't really blame them for it. Who wouldn't be?  
  
Still, the tears threatened to fall down Bakura's solemn face. He fought it the best he could and realized suddenly that sitting there by himself was the surest way to get even more upset about it. He needed to go outside, get some air. That would get his mind off things and he could push it all away, like he always did. He threw on a warm green fleece pull- over jacket and left his house, locking the door behind him. He thought that maybe a walk would make him feel a bit better.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Uh, hey, um, is Mai there?"  
  
"This is she. Who is this?"  
  
"Oh, uh, hey Mai. It's Joey."  
  
"Joey!"  
  
*awkward pause*  
  
"Hello, Joey."  
  
"Hi."  
  
*another awkward pause*  
  
"So, Joey. Why did you call?"  
  
"Oh, actually, we were all heading over to Adele's in an hour. You know, to paint her house. I was designated to be the one to call you."  
  
"Oh, so you did not want to call me?"  
  
"That's not what I meant! I mean, I, uh-"  
  
*more awkward silence*  
  
"Sure, Joey, I'll be over to help as well."  
  
"Great. Sounds good. I will see you then?"  
  
"Yes. And Joey???"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Wear that white T-shirt you have with the green stripes on the sleeves. You look really nice in that."  
  
"Huh? Uh, okay."  
  
"Talk to you later, Wheeler."  
  
"Yeah, later, Mai."  
  
--click-  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
It seemed like all the walking in the world wasn't going to do him any good. He had been walking for a half hour now and didn't feel any better. Usually, walking made him feel as if he were literally walking away from his problems, the things that made him hurt. But this time it wasn't working. This time, he felt abnormally lonely and didn't quite know why. He didn't like reaching out to anyone about what was on his mind, but it seemed as if that was exactly what he needed right now. Usually, the only person he turned to at all about this was Yugi. He was the only one that somewhat understood. But it was different now, with Yugi. Yugi and Yami were closer than ever and the two were separate beings now, rather than body and spirit. Bakura still did not get along with his yami--he didn't even know who he was. Who on earth was Ryou? To Bakura, the only meaning that held for him was that it was his last name.  
  
You'll find out soon enough.  
  
Bakura quickened his pace a bit, closing his eyes against the icy breeze that blew against his face. He walked aimlessly, not caring where his steps took him, hoping that wherever they lead, he would find some solace there. It seemed very unlikely, but it was worth a shot. After all, what else did he have better to do?  
  
"Bakura?" a girl's voice giggled.  
  
Bakura opened his eyes to reveal that he had somehow made his way to the park near his home. He certainly didn't expect to end up here, but here he was anyway. He blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light.  
  
"Bakura, what on earth are you doing? You're liable to get run over by a car, running around with your eyes shut!"  
  
Bakura turned to see that Adele stood before him holding a grocery bag and trying to hold back her laughter at him. Yes, he probably did look a bit ridiculous, wandering around like that. It seemed right at the time. But how ironic that he would end up here, and that he would actually run into someone he knew. How strange indeed.  
  
"Bakura? Are you okay? You look like you're daydreaming."  
  
"No, I'm not daydreaming."  
  
"Then what on earth are you doing?"  
  
"I was going for a walk."  
  
"With your eyes closed?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You're so silly!"  
  
"Well, I was just on my way home now, so I guess I'll see you later."  
  
"Really? You're coming later as well? Joey said he couldn't get a hold of you."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"To my house. Everyone was coming over. We were going to finish the painting we started."  
  
"Oh yes, I nearly forgot. Why don't I come now. I can help you with your bags there."  
  
"Oh, thank you, but that's not necessary. However, you can do me one other favor instead."  
  
"And what is that?"  
  
"Hand me that apple that just fell from my bag? I'm afraid I'm losing my groceries here."  
  
Bakura laughed. "Certainly."  
  
Minutes later they were unpacking the groceries in Adele's kitchen. The house was looking a lot more fresh now that Yugi and the others had been helping Adele with cleaning it up. It had been only three weeks ago that the kitchen cabinets were a dull gray color and the brown rug held a dark burn stain on it. Now, the cabinets shone with a glazed wood tone and the rug was pulled up, revealing a beautiful hardwood floor beneath. New dark blue curtains had been put up which would match the exterior of the house once it was finished being painted. That would all be accomplished today, once the others arrived. Later this week, a new couch and coffee table would be arriving as well.  
  
"Everything looks so nice, Adele."  
  
"Thank you! I could not have done it without you all. I have plans to try to pay you all back for your great kindness!"  
  
"There's no need to pay us back, you know that."  
  
"I want to, and I won't take any objections!" she said, winking at Bakura. "Now, do you want some hot chocolate? The others should be here soon, I thought maybe you and I could catch up a little before they arrived."  
  
"Sure, that would be nice."  
  
"Great. Let me just-"  
  
Her words were interrupted by the telephone ringing. "Hold on, let me get that." She picked up the phone and answered cheerfully. "Hello?"  
  
Bakura watched as almost immediately, her face went completely pale and her friendly smiled dropped to an expression of instant anger. She said nothing to whoever was on the other end. Instead, it seemed that she was listening to someone, someone who had a lot to say about something obviously important. Adele glanced quickly over at Bakura and swiftly turned around so that he could no longer see her face. Since the phone she was using was a cordless one, she walked into the living room so she could have more privacy, but Bakura could still hear her voice when she finally spoke.  
  
"You're a fool if you think I'll ever let this happen!"  
  
Bakura had never heard her sound like this before. Her voice sounded malicious, almost hateful, and she seemed to spit the words into the phone with an anger that Bakura never knew she could possess. He couldn't resist peeking around the corner to spy on her as the conversation continued.  
  
"I will make you regret this! Trust me, that is a promise! There is no way that I will let you get away with this and if you try, you can count on the utmost revenge from not only me, but another as well! We both shall make you regret it, so I suggest you don't even attempt it!"  
  
Her words were frightening, even to Bakura who knew what a gentle soul she possessed. But were things always as they seemed? He wasn't quite so sure.  
  
Looking at the reddish-brown color of her hair, she suddenly seemed very dangerous. Her hair seemed red like fire. Or even red like blood. Danger. Fear.  
  
But there was something else about her, too. Her body seemed to be trembling with emotion. He still could not see her face, but her shoulders shook slightly and were hunched forward as if at any moment her body would fall forward and she would lose all emotion. Bakura knew the feeling all too well. He wondered what the phone call was about that would cause her such distress.  
  
"There is no amount of money that could make me change my mind, how many times must I tell you that? How dare you think that this is about money!"  
  
Her words sounded like venom. Bakura thought it best to sit back down at the kitchen table, pretending that he heard nothing of it. Whatever this phone call was about, it was something definitely none of his business and he was sure Adele would rather not have him know about it. Still, the tone of her voice worried him. This was so unlike her.  
  
"Don't call back. My answer will not change. And I'll tell you this for the last time-you show up anywhere near me, you're putting your life on the line. That's not a threat, it's a promise!"  
  
Bakura heard the sound of the beep as she hung up the phone. She didn't walk back into the kitchen right away. Instead, she stayed in the living room, and Bakura thought he heard her sobbing. He wondered if he should intrude or if she would rather he just left her alone. Before he could decide what to do, the doorbell rang.  
  
"Wow, this place is just bustling today, isn't it?" Adele called from the other room. "Bakura, do you mind answering that? It's just Yugi and the others. I'm sorry, I have to go to the bathroom for a moment."  
  
"Of course. Is everything all right?"  
  
"Yes, yes, it's fine. I just need to wash up."  
  
Bakura knew it was a lie, but let it pass for the moment. He let the others in, who were surprised to see him there.  
  
"Hey, Bakura, I tried calling you but couldn't get through." Said Joey.  
  
"Yes, I was out for awhile and ended up here a bit early. Adele will be down in a few minutes. She ran upstairs for a moment."  
  
"All right."  
  
A few minutes later, Adele came back downstairs, her smile betraying the emotion that Bakura could see in her eyes. For a quick moment, their eyes caught each other and Adele seemed to be saying, without saying a word, 'please don't tell them'. There was so much worry there, so much fear. Bakura did not know what to think of this strange side of her he was seeing. He thought she was so perfect, so strong.  
  
"Hello everyone!"  
  
"Hey, Adele" said Mai. "Me and Joey are going out to get an early start already. You guys can catch up in a few minutes, okay?"  
  
"We are?" asked Joey, seeming confused. Mai smiled devilishly.  
  
"Yes, Joseph, we are. Now, come on." She said, pulling Joey out the front door, paint brushes and paint cans in hand.  
  
"I wonder why Joey wore just a T-shirt." Remarked Tea. "It's really cold outside and he only dresses in a green cotton T-shirt? Boys can be so dumb sometimes."  
  
"Hey, before you all run off and start painting again, I want to invite you all to something. I understand if you cannot come, but I would love to have you there."  
  
"What is it, Adele?" asked Yami.  
  
"For Christmas this year, my father has invited me and all my friends to stay the week in England, at our home! I would love for you to come and be my special guests! I understand it is a special time to spend with your families, but if you would like to come, I'm extending the invitation now!"  
  
"Wow, that's really nice of you." Said Tristan. "I'll see what I can do."  
  
"Yeah, Adele, thank you." Remarked Yugi. "Grandpa may object, however."  
  
"Your grandfather is invited as well!"  
  
"Really? Wow, that's wonderful! I can't wait to tell him!"  
  
"My father has offered to pay for all our plane tickets and we have plenty of room in our home to fit everyone so that you all have your own bedroom."  
  
"I'll be there." Bakura announced, quite suddenly. "I have nowhere else to be and this sounds like a nice getaway. You can count me in."  
  
Adele smiled at him. "I'm so glad, Bakura. I can't wait."  
  
"It will be nice to see my old hometown again as well. I'm sure we will all have a lovely time."  
  
"Well," started Raya. "I'm not sure, but I think I can convince 'Grandpa' to come along as well. That would mean you can count me, Grandpa, Yami, and Yugi in as well. We'll let you know for sure."  
  
"Wonderful!"  
  
"Someone say something about a party?" asked Joey, walking back in the door, grinning from ear to ear. What was he so happy about?  
  
"Yes, Joey, you are invited as well! Come to my home in England for Christmas. And please, bring Serenity too!"  
  
"Yes, please bring Serenity!" muttered Tristan, under his breath.  
  
"Is Mai going?" asked Joey, looking at Mai, who stood next to him.  
  
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." She said.  
  
"Then neither would I." Joey responded, smiling even wider than before. Everyone was a bit confused about why these two were so cheerful all of a sudden. It never occurred to them that finally the two stubborn souls were beginning to let down their guards to one another. Could there be something more to Joey and Mai than what everyone believed?  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
That's it for now. Read and Review please! It would make me very very happy!  
  
Indigo Tantarian-thanks for the comments! I'm glad you like it so far. If you have any suggestions, let me know!  
  
Anya-thank you for your encouragement (and threats!). Just remember, when break is over, it's super-procrastination-yu-gi-oh-watching-fun-time!!!  
  
Sparky16-thank you for the comments as well! I can't wait for some more of your awesome pictures! I will get to reading your fics ASAP!!! 


	7. Interlude: And to All a Good Night

Fallen Angels-Chapter Seven: Interlude: And to All A Good Night  
  
By Lady Armandina  
  
Disclaimer: I said it before, I'll say it again. I only own Adele and Celesta. No one else is mine. Raya is property of Anya (go read 'Rising to Destiny' and 'Family History'!!!).  
  
Also: "Silent Night", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", and "Santa Baby" do not belong to me. I don't know the original writers. I could look them up, but I'm super lazy and it's Christmas Eve-I don't feel like it!  
  
Author's Note: I know that many call Ryou the regular Bakura and Bakura the yami. I have switched it in my story, because that is what I have grown accustomed to. Sorry for any confusion!  
  
Warning: MUSHY CHAPTER!!! Much Christmas-y cheer and all that jazz. What can I say? Was feeling in the Christmas spirit. My apologies if you are not Christian, this is not meant to offend or impose. I tried to steer away from too much religious Christmas-ness in order to avoid such a thing. And I know that Yami and Raya are Egyptian and so would not celebrate Christmas, but what can I do, really? They didn't want to ruin the Christmas spirit and so went along with it. (Yeah, okay, now I'm losing it). Merry Christmas to all of you!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
#Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright.#  
  
The radio played lightly in the background as a limo full of impatient friends soared down the highway in Worcester, England.  
  
#Round yon Virgin, mother and child.#  
  
Yami snuggled closer to Raya as she hummed melodically to the traditional Christmas tune. She had such a beautiful voice, Yami thought. So soothing, so natural.  
  
Joey and Mai sat curiously close to one another as well, his hand lightly touching hers as her hands lay in her lap. Mai's expression was one of true contentment and Joey's happiness was visible as well. It was good that they finally seemed to have found each other.  
  
Serenity smiled cheerfully at her big brother, happy that he found someone to be with. She only ever wanted her big brother to have the happiness he deserved, the happiness that she was beginning to find with the kind- hearted boy that sat next to her.  
  
Tristan stretched his legs out and sighed, glancing over at his best friend's sister. She looked so beautiful today, and it was so wonderful to see how her eyes looked without the bandages. They sparkled like diamonds every time she looked at him. He hoped that someday Joey would understand what Serenity meant to him.  
  
#Holy infant, so tender and mild.#  
  
Bakura gazed out the tinted window at the houses along the side of the snow- covered road. This was his hometown, where he grew up. Everything looked so different now, so unfamiliar. But the houses in the Victorian-style section of town looked so beautiful all done up in Christmas lights. He couldn't wait to get to his own old neighborhood, anxious to see how much his former house had changed.  
  
Tea tapped her foot anxiously as Yugi dozed off to dreamland on her shoulder. She hoped that he didn't drool on her, but couldn't help but smile as one of his spikey blond strands of hair came flopping down over his forehead. He looked absolutely adorable and for a moment, Tea didn't mind that her arm had totally fallen asleep.  
  
#Sleep in heavenly peace.#  
  
Sugoroku smiled at all the happiness surrounding him. He was so happy to be spending this Christmas with his family. Yami, Yugi, and Raya meant so much to him, and he was eternally grateful for the wonderful friends that Yugi had made. He was so proud of his grandson.  
  
Adele sat quietly awaiting their arrival at her home. She was nervous about seeing her father-it had been almost a year since they had seen each other. She wanted this Christmas to be a lot of fun for her friends and hoped that she could make it very special for them.  
  
#Sleep in heavenly peace.#  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Mokuba."  
  
Seto knelt by his brother's bedside, silently praying for his health and future awakening. He couldn't stand seeing his little brother like this. So many machines surrounded Mokuba, and what good was it doing for him? For once in his life, Seto found himself cursing the wonders of technology.  
  
"Little brother, it's almost Christmas, you know. This was always a very special time of the year for us."  
  
Seto watched in anticipation, hoping to see his brother stir in some way, for any possibility of consciousness in his body. There was none.  
  
"It's December 23. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. The doctors say I can't stay here overnite, but you know I won't let that happen. I won't let you be alone on Christmas Eve. I refuse to. I will be back tomorrow, brother. I will always be back, always be here for you. I promised that to you so many years ago, Mokuba. I intend to never break that promise."  
  
Seto did his best not to let his emotion get the best of him. No one had ever seen a Kaiba cry, and it wasn't about to start now. He reached up and wiped a long piece of black hair from Mokuba's forehead, pushing it to the side. He hated it so badly, leaving Mokuba each night. It wasn't the same at home without him there to brighten Seto's day, to give him a reason to smile.  
  
Seto stood up, but not before placing a small kiss on his younger brother's limp hand. He turned around and stood there for a moment, pausing.  
  
"Mokuba," he said, not turning around. "I will find who did this to you. I will make them pay."  
  
And with those words, he walked away, the door falling shut behind him. In the deepest corner of his mind, Mokuba smiled.  
  
'Big brother.I love you too.'  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Oh, I can't wait!" Tea exclaimed after opening the envelope that Adele had just handed her as part of her Christmas present. "Everyone, it looks like we're going to see The Nutcracker tonight!"  
  
"The Nutcracker?" Joey lamented. "You mean we have to watch a bunch of ballerinas dance around all night? Come on, Tea, it's Christmas Eve!"  
  
"Don't be such a scrooge, Joey." Said Tea. "Or else you might be visited by a certain three ghosts of Christmas tonight!"  
  
"Yeah," Adele agreed. "You don't have to come tonight, but I would warn you about old Rochester."  
  
"Old Rochester?"  
  
"Yeah, he's the family ghost. He only comes out twice a year, once usually around Christmas time. He's never hurt anybody, really. Well, not technically, anyway."  
  
"Hey," said Joey, stammering. "I never said I wasn't going tonight. Besides, the last thing I want to be doing is spending the night in a Victorian mansion with a not-so-friendly ghost."  
  
"Great," said Adele, winking at Tea. "Because after that, we are going to pick out a Christmas tree so we can decorate it tonight!"  
  
"That sounds like fun!" exclaimed Yugi. "I'm so glad to be spending Christmas with all of you!"  
  
"So are we, buddy." Joey said, exchanging a glance with Mai. "So are we."  
  
Hours later (after many pirouettes and a whole lot of evergreen) the 11 friends were seated around the fireplace in Adele's family den. It was a very spacious room with tall cathedral ceilings so they had to get the biggest tree on the lot-ten feet tall! Two hours were spent decorating every inch of the tree until it twinkled and glistened with red and gold ornaments. All that was left to decorate was the top.  
  
Joey, the only one perhaps silly enough to do it, was dressed in a ridiculous Santa suit, minus the beard, and was having way too much fun with it. He sat down in a comfy leather armchair and claimed his throne as Santa Claus, strategically located directly under some mistletoe that hung from the ceiling light above.  
  
"Hey, Mai, you want to sit on my lap?" he flirted, not expecting Mai to call his bluff. Before he could say 'ho-ho-ho', Mai Valentine plopped down on Joey's lap, much to the surprise and amusement of everyone else.  
  
"My, Santa, it seems you've lost a lot of weight!" Mai teased. Joey just stared at her in amazement, speechless. "Well? Aren't you going to ask me what I want for Christmas?"  
  
"Um.uh.yeah. Sure, Mai, what do you want for Christmas?" he managed to stammer.  
  
Mai decided to take this opportunity to embarrass Joey Wheeler the best she possibly could. Grabbing a candy cane from the end table that sat beside the chair, she cleared her throat and began to sing into it as if it were a microphone--  
  
"Santa Baby! Slip a sable under the tree, for me, I've been an awful good girl-Santa Baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight!"  
  
"Oh my." Said Bakura. "It looks like we've got Betty Boop here to entertain us!"  
  
"Santa Baby, fill my stocking with a duplex, and checks, sign your X on the line, Santa Baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight!"  
  
Everyone laughed as Joey appeared utterly astonished. He truly had no idea what to say.  
  
"Come and trim my Christmas tree, with some decorations bought at Tiffany's! Next year I could be oh so good! If you check off my Christmas list, Ba-doop-be-doop! Santa Baby, forgot to mention one little thing-a ring! I don't mean a phone, Santa Baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight! Hurry down the chimney tonight! Hurry down the chimney.tonight!!!"  
  
Tristan began clapping, followed by the applause of the others as Mai finished her song, stealing the Santa hat from Joey's head and placing it on her own. Mai was saying something to Joey, softly, not loud enough for the others to hear, but for Joey's ears only.  
  
"So what do you say, Joey? If I ask you for something, do you promise you'll grant me my Christmas wish?" she asked him, looking into his eyes. She no longer appeared to be joking.  
  
"What do you mean, Mai? What is it you want?"  
  
She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "I want to be with you, Joey Wheeler. I want to be your girlfriend."  
  
Joey's eyes grew suddenly wide and everyone wondered what it is that Mai could have said to him that would cause such shock. He was still speechless and only stared at Mai as if he had never seen her before in his entire life. A moment passed, and then he smiled. Still looking directly into Mai's eyes, he answered her.  
  
"On one condition."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"You give me back my Santa hat." Mai grinned at his response and suddenly threw her arms around his neck in a gigantic hug. Tristan had to try his hardest to stifle his laughter. He found the whole thing entirely too funny. Serenity, on the other hand, clutched her hands together in anticipation. She knew how her brother felt about Mai, and wished only for his happiness.  
  
Mai took the Santa hat off her own head and placed it back on Joey's. "It looks better on you, anyway."  
  
"I highly doubt that." He responded, kissing her lightly on the lips.  
  
"Wow! Did you see that?! They kissed!" Tea exclaimed.  
  
"It wouldn't be the first time!" Joey blurted out, receiving a punch in the arm from Mai.  
  
"Hey, Joey, you never told me that!" Tristan said.  
  
"I was sworn to silence!" Joey protested. "That is, until now. Now all bets are off, Mai! Now, come here! I assume you did notice that we're sitting underneath the mistletoe?"  
  
"We've only been officially together for less than a minute, and I already want to kill you!" she responded with laughter.  
  
"Ahhh, the joys of a relationship." Yami said, immediately receiving an evil glance from Raya.  
  
"What was that, my dear?" she asked.  
  
"Um, oh, nothing, Raya. My darling."  
  
Everyone was so happy. Bakura looked around him at all his friends and silently thanked God for this wonderful moment. He couldn't help miss his own family, but sometimes, he thought, your closest friends could become your family as well. He couldn't remember a time since before his mother died that he had felt so peaceful, so content.  
  
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas." Raya began to hum to herself. Adele immediately caught on and seated herself at the elegant grand piano that sat near the fireplace. She began to play the tune that Raya was already singing, encouraging her to sing along.  
  
"Let your heart be light." Raya's words poured out, her voice as sweet as honey. The others gathered around the piano, listening to the beauty of her voice. "From now on our troubles will be out of sight."  
  
Yami moved closer to Raya, circling his arms about her waist as he sang the next verse of the song. "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the yuletide gay, from now on our troubles will be miles away."  
  
Raya took over again, taking Yami's hand in hers as she sang louder this time. "Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore...faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more."  
  
Yugi and Sugoroku smiled at each other and Tea moved closer to Yugi, giving him a warm hug. Serenity rested her head on her big brother's shoulder as he put one of his arms around her, his other hand busy being held by Mai's. Tristan smiled, blushing a little as he noticed Serenity staring at him, grinning cheerfully. She motioned for him to move closer, and he did, happy to be standing next to the one girl he ever had a crush on.  
  
Suddenly, everyone joined in the song, their joint voices creating a chorus of sound that echoed beautifully against the tall ceiling.  
  
"Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow.hang a shining star upon the highest bow."  
  
Bakura had never before felt such a sense of wonder before on Christmas. He found himself increasingly grateful to have made such wonderful and kind- hearted friends, and to be spending such a special day in their presence.  
  
"And have yourself a merry little Christmas now."  
  
Everyone sang the last words together, feeling warmer than ever, though the feeling was not from the fireplace nearby, but from each one of their hearts. Raya continued the last words of the song, repeating them once more on her own.  
  
"And have yourself, a merry little Christmas, now."  
  
Adele played the last few notes to the song and everyone stood in silence for just a moment longer, treasuring this fine moment and wanting it to last forever. Finally, Tristan decided to speak.  
  
"Hey, everyone, we forgot to put the angel on the tree."  
  
Joey walked over to the box of ornaments and pulled out a beautiful angel tree topper, dressed elegantly in a long white gown trimmed with gold. Her hair was the color of cornsilk and she held a shining little candle in her dainty hands. Bakura stared at the angel. It seemed to remind him of somebody he once knew.  
  
Joey took a few steps up the tall ladder that sat next to the tree, climbing to the top to place the angel. Everyone watched, admiring the beauty of the tree.  
  
"And now she will sit there, guarding us and protecting us this holiday season. No harm can come to us as long as we have our guardian angels. Let her be ours this beautiful night!" announced Adele.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
It was Christmas Eve, and the whole world seemed full of peace and joy. That is, the whole world except for in the chambers of Seto Kaiba's heart. There was only turmoil there.  
  
Seto stared down at his younger brother, silently begging him to wake up again. He would do anything, anything in the world to help him in any way. But it was not in his power, and that utterly destroyed him inside. There was only one thing in the world that could help Mokuba now, and that was a miracle.  
  
"Little Brother, I love you. I know you will be back again very soon. Until that day, I will be right here. Merry Christmas, Mokuba."  
  
He leaned over and shut off the light, crawling into the bed with his younger brother and laying his head on the pillow next to him. Before shutting his eyes for the night, Seto Kaiba uttered a short, desperate prayer for Mokuba. Then, with tear-filled eyes and a solemn heart, Seto drifted into sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Everyone," Yugi announced. "Please, come here. Look, it's almost midnight."  
  
"What is your point, Yugi?" asked Sugoroku.  
  
"It will soon be Christmas Day! Let's all join hands and say a prayer together to pay homage to this blessed day."  
  
Everyone, thinking it was a lovely idea, formed a circle in front of the fireplace and joined hands with one another. They all closed their eyes as Yugi started the prayer.  
  
"Oh God, we thank you for this special moment, this very special time that we have here together this night. Each year, we all grow closer to one another as friends and we are always grateful for the blessing of new friends to join our inner circle. We thank you for the wonderful gifts you have granted us with every year."  
  
Mai continued. "We want to also pray for those less fortunate than us this Christmas. Those who are homeless, friendless, or without a loving family to spend today with. We pray that they have someone, somewhere, that can make this day special for them, and we hope for their protection and happiness."  
  
Joey followed, saying: "And we want to say a special prayer for the Kaiba brothers. We hope for the safety and health of Mokuba and for Seto to feel a sense of peace this Christmas, even without his brother to cheer him up. We pray that, in the coming year, Mokuba finds his way back to us and Seto can return to his happier life."  
  
Mai squeezed Joey's hand, so proud of him for finding forgiveness in his heart for Seto Kaiba.  
  
Tea finished, saying: "We hope this Christmas is filled with the gift of your love and pray that your mercy lives in our hearts forever more! Thank you, Lord, for all you have given us!"  
  
"Amen." They all said together, continuing to hold hands. Only a moment later, the clock struck midnight and everyone looked around at each other, each thinking it was time to go to bed.  
  
"Good night, Bakura." Adele whispered to him, embracing him with a warm hug.  
  
"Good night, Adele. Merry Christmas."  
  
"Merry Christmas. See you in the morning." Everyone headed to their respective guest rooms, exhausted from the day's events and happy to fall into blissful sleep. Joey, however, had just one more thing to say, yelling it down the hallway just before everyone closed their bedroom doors.  
  
"Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!"  
  
Outside, the snow fell softly to the ground, making the entire city a veritable winter wonderland. High above, in the sky, shone brightly one Northern Star, shining its light upon the whole world, and, especially, on people's hearts.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Merry Christmas, everyone! I promise next chappie will continue the actual story! God bless you all! 


	8. Nightmare Come True

Fallen Angels—Chapter Eight: Nightmare Come True  
  
By Lady Armandina  
  
Disclaimer: I said it before, I'll say it again. I only own Adele. Noone else is mine. Raya is property of Anya (Go read her fan fics! They are great!) The song featured in this chapter, entitled "Dream In My Soul", is an original song written by me.   
  
Author's Note: I know that many call Ryou the regular Bakura and Bakura the yami. I have switched it in my story, because that is what I have grown accustomed to. Sorry for any confusion!  
  
Warning: This chapter has some blood and violence in it. It's nothing too serious, but if these things disturb you or you do not feel comfortable, please do not read on! I don't want anyone to be offended! I add these things only for an added effect in the story, I do not condone violence in any way!  
  
Also—Everyone, thanks for the reviews! I love getting them and I really appreciate the encouragement! I hope I don't let you down!  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The room was cold like death, dark like the deepest night. Bakura shivered as he glanced around him, not recognizing his surroundings but somehow knowing that he was somewhere within Adele's family mansion. The tall white alabaster walls rose high above his head and the marble floor showed the reflection of the large full moon that shone in from the French-style windows. He stood with his back against one of these cold walls, holding his arms around himself to keep warm.   
  
Why was he here? The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in the huge four-poster bed in a guest room at the mansion after a lovely Christmas day spent with all his friends. They would be leaving in a few days, and had planned to spend the day in London tomorrow to do some sightseeing. Bakura had gone to bed a bit early, hoping to catch a full night's sleep for the next day's busy events. He had no idea where in the mansion he was now, it was too dark to see for sure.   
  
Suddenly, the candelabra on the wall next to him lit up with flames on each of the three white candles it held. Bakura jumped back from the wall, staring fearfully at the candles above him. How did they light? Nobody was there in the room with him…at least that's what he thought.   
  
Looking around him, he now recognized this room as the sitting room that connected to the front hall. He had only been here once, when they first arrived two days ago. He had admired how beautiful the room was with its tall French windows and long silk violet curtains that draped down on each side. A white grand piano with gold trim stood proudly in one corner of the room, similar in style to the large black piano that was nearby in the den. The room held two large gold-colored antique-style couches that were very comfortable to sit in, and on the far end of the room there was a large marble fireplace with a painting of a beautiful flame-haired woman above it. Bakura wondered if this woman was Adele's mother, but decided not to ask. A large ivory statue of a beautiful angel stood in the corner of the room closest to him. She wore a long robe-like dress and her hair appeared to be floating in an invisible breeze. Her facial expression seemed to be sad. This was a gorgeous room, but, again, what was he doing here?  
  
"Hello?" Bakura whispered, his voice echoing loudly against the walls. It seemed there was nobody there with him, but he felt something eerie that told him differently. He decided he had probably been sleepwalking, and it would be best if he would just go back to his room and return to bed, pretending that this had never happened.   
  
"Deaaaaaaath…" someone whispered suddenly. The voice seemed to come from nowhere, yet was everywhere at the same time. Bakura stumbled backwards, searching for the door handle to leave the room. He was so frightened, however, that his efforts only lead him directly into the corner adjacent to the angel statue. Clumsily, he slid down the wall, curling into fetal position as he watched the horrors before him…  
  
The angel statue had suddenly seemed to come to life. Her wings began to flutter lightly back and forth, and Bakura noticed that instead of angel wings, now she had what were more like fairy wings instead. She had three sets of dainty, feathered wings on each side, flapping rapidly as if she were struggling to fly away. Her hair blew in a breeze that somehow was blowing throughout the entire room, and a drop of a blood-stained tear fell from one of her eyes. She looked directly at Bakura, still the heartbroken expression on her face, and lifted one arm to point at him.  
  
"Murderer…" she whispered. Bakura was shaking now, doing all he could to remain as calm as possible.  
  
"No…no…I wouldn't hurt anyone!"  
  
The statue closed her eyes and brought her hands up to cover her face as though she were crying. And then, the beautiful white alabaster walls were suddenly covered in red, blood running down them in a nightmarish vision like he could never have imagined.   
  
"No!!! Please, no!!! I would never hurt anyone! Noooooooooooooo…!"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Bakura sat up abruptly from the bed he lay in, his heart pounding violently in his chest and a cold sweat drenching his entire body. He gasped, trying to catch his breath and to make sense of the strange and terrible dream he had just awoken from. He couldn't understand why he had been having such hellish nightmares lately. It seemed that he would rather stay awake all night and suffer from the insomnia rather than face the terrors that his dreams would bring every night.  
  
He rolled over and tore the blankets away from his body--it was so hot in here! He stood up, deciding that a drink of water might help cool him off a bit, when he realized that he was no longer in the room that he had fallen asleep in.   
  
'Oh no! Just like the dream!'  
  
But…this was not the downstairs sitting room. It was a bedroom, a child's bedroom it seemed, and most definitely one that belonged to a girl. He could tell by the light of the moon that shone in the window that the walls were painted a rosy pink color and the curtains on the window were of a fine, precious lace. The furniture in the room was of a light oak color and everywhere, literally everywhere, there were fairies. Fairy figurines, fairy dolls, even fairy bed sheets.   
  
Bakura cringed. Fairies! The angel statue in his dream, it had seemed to transform into a fairy, and now he was surrounded by them! What did this mean? And how the hell did he get here? Nothing made any sense, yet, at the same time, it seemed as if there were something here at work that he knew nothing of. Something he could not understand and dared not try to.   
  
You mean, you don't remember?  
  
However, regardless of where he was or what was going on, he shouldn't be here, in this room. He thought he better leave, pretend this didn't happen, and find his own guest room that he was supposed to be sleeping in.   
  
"I better fix the sheets here so it doesn't look like someone slept in them…" he muttered to himself, yanking the bed sheets up toward the pillows and tucking them under. As he pulled up the fluffy lavender feather comforter, something small and tattered fell from the bed and onto the floor at his feet. He stopped, curious, and picked it up, turning over the soft, cloth-like doll in his hands. Strange, something about this doll seemed familiar, and it wasn't how it looked that had caught his eye. It was more of a smell, a soft scent that the doll was traced with. It smelt like fresh strawberries, a scent that was once so familiar to him…  
  
He threw the doll down on the bed, angry at the tirade of emotions that so suddenly invaded his mind. What was he feeling? Nothing made sense anymore. Distraught, he rushed out of the room, closing the door behind him, and leaned against the wall in the long hallway outside. He didn't know where he was, what he was doing anymore. He wanted to believe something about himself, anything, really, but he didn't know where to start. Something told him that he should start by figuring out the meaning of his dreams. Unfortunately, all that surrounded him right now was the emptiness of the dark.  
  
Wait…  
  
Something, a beautiful, melodic sound, sliced its way through the lonely darkness. This sound, this song, seemed to call to him, to comfort him, to tell him that everything would be all right. Just follow the sound…  
  
It was coming from downstairs, he was certain of it. It was a piano, playing some beautiful tune that sounded like something from a distant memory, a far-away dream. He didn't know where the stairs were, this part of the house was strange to him, but somehow, the tune lead his feet to where he would find its source. He walked, slowly, softly, and found his way to the staircase, following the giant marble spiral downward, finding himself in the main hall.   
  
That sound, that beautiful sound--it wasn't only a piano now. There was a voice accompanying the sweet, soulful melody, a voice he knew well.  
  
"Adele…" he said, his voice barely a whisper. Turning the corner to the front sitting room, he stood in the doorway and watched as his friend, sitting in the candlelight, sat at the grand piano. She was wearing a pretty green velvet robe and her eyes were closed as she played her song and sang the words softly along…  
  
"I believe in the truth of your heart  
I can see all the pain and the tears that you hide locked away  
When it feels like your soul is too far  
Come to me with your dreams and we'll make them come true in some way"  
  
Her words echoed hauntingly through the room and into the hall. Bakura was stunned. Though he knew he should not spy, her words and the harmony of the song together was too much to turn away from. Something held him there.  
  
"Won't you take your hand in mine  
And together we can dream  
Til the end of time  
We'll dream  
Til the end of time  
You know that I won't let you go"  
  
What was this song? The melody, it was so unreal, so recognizable it seemed. He knew he had to have heard it before…  
  
"You don't know what your heart means to me  
How you've changed me and took me so far away from all the pain  
I only want to hold you so close  
Won't you let me please show you the feelings I hide every day"  
  
But those words. He was sure he had not heard them before in his life.   
  
"Cuz my heart is in your hands  
And I want to tell you how  
I feel for you now  
I won't say goodbye cuz I don't know how  
You know that I won't let you go…  
  
"Every night you speak to me  
In my dreams you are holding me  
Loving me endlessly   
Whispering our confessions  
Your breath is on my face  
Your eyes take me to another place…  
  
"Someday my heart will speak to your own  
And I hope that in my soul your love will find a sweet home  
But until that day, I will wait  
And I'll be here whenever you need me   
Just say the words  
And I will find a way  
To your heart"  
  
As she played the final notes to the song, Bakura closed his eyes, falling back into a memory, a memory so long ago forgotten, one he did not know he had anymore…  
  
A girl, sitting at a black grand piano, playing a cheerful tune, smiling at Bakura…they were friends, good friends at that…until that day. He didn't know what went wrong, didn't understand what was happening to him when it happened. All he remembered was blacking out and then, when he had awakened, there she lay before, him, covered in blood, unconscious, on the ground. His friend, perhaps the only friend he had ever had at that point, gone…He remembered looking down at the blood on his hands, feeling more self-hatred than he ever believed possible. The doctors said she might recover someday. That someday never came. She remained in a coma until this very day, and Bakura could never forgive himself for it. He had stolen away the most precious moments of her life, moments she could never get back. Even if she did wake up now, it was too late.   
  
That was four years ago, and to this day, Bakura still didn't understand how he could lose such control of his body like that. He knew it had something to do with his yami, and knew that he had to find a way to stop him, but he didn't know how. And there was still one question left unanswered in all of this…why? Why would his yami try to take the life of a young, harmless girl? She did nothing wrong, would never try to hurt anybody or anything. He couldn't understand what compelled his other self to do such a thing, and the spirit inside him would never give him an answer.  
  
"Bakura?" the voice suddenly snapped him back into reality. "I didn't see you standing there. You scared me. Can't you sleep?"  
  
Adele sat at the piano, looking over at Bakura, the expression on her face being of pure surprise. She almost looked embarrassed that he had heard her and blushed a little. Bakura wondered why. After all, he was the one who should feel embarrassed. He stood there in his blue plaid flannel pajamas, suddenly feeling quite silly to be spying on her in her own house.  
  
"Oh, Adele, hello. I'm sorry I scared you. No, I had some trouble sleeping. I heard you playing the piano, and well…I'm sorry I intruded on your private time here…"  
  
"No, no, don't be sorry. Please," she said, standing up from the piano seat and taking her place on one of the comfy gold couches near the window. "Join me for a bit."  
  
Bakura followed her to the couch and sat across from her, shuddering a little as he realized this was the same room from his strange dream earlier. It was only a dream, he told himself. Only a dream…  
  
"So, tell me, what's on your mind that you can't sleep? Is everything all right?"  
  
"It's nothing, really, I guess." He started. "Just, you know, the same thing that is usually on my mind."  
  
"And what is that?"  
  
Bakura paused, not wanting to hear himself say the words. It seemed fruitless to talk about it again. Nothing ever made him feel any better. Instead, he chose a different route.  
  
"Adele, can I ask you something?"  
  
"Of course, anything. What is it?"  
  
"You remember a few weeks ago? When we ran into each other near the park?"  
  
Adele smiled and stifled a laugh. "Yes, you mean when you were wandering around town with your eyes closed?"  
  
Bakura blushed. "Yes, that's it."  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"When we went back to your house and we were talking…you got a phone call."  
  
Adele's cheerful expression dropped to a somber one. "Yes?"  
  
"You seemed very upset about it. I wanted to ask you earlier, but it seems I have never had the chance to ask you alone before and I didn't feel right bringing it up in front of the others. Is everything all right?"  
  
Adele put on what Bakura recognized as a pretend smile. "Of course, Bakura. You have no reason to worry, although that's very sweet."  
  
"You can't beat me at my own game, Adele."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I can tell that you're not all right. You haven't quite been yourself lately. I've noticed a certain sadness to your eyes. You try to hide it from everyone, but I know it all too well because I do the same thing."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"You're hiding your feelings, Adele. I know how difficult it can be to not have anyone to talk to about these things. You've always been a kind friend to me, I want to return the favor."  
  
Adele looked downwards, her false smile fading into a worried frown. She dared not look Bakura in the eyes, knowing full well that what he said was true. She didn't want anyone to worry about her. There wasn't any need to, she had always been on her own before…  
  
"I'm fine, Bakura. It's you who I worry about."  
  
"Me? No, I don't believe that."  
  
"Yes, I worry about you. Every day, I wonder what I can do to make you see what a wonderful person you are! I think you're absolutely beautiful, in every way, and I wish that you could see yourself through my eyes!"  
  
Bakura thought about what she said for a moment. He realized, of course, that what she said was probably true, but he wasn't going to let her win like that.  
  
"What about you, Adele? You want nobody to be there for you, yet you insist that you be there for everybody else! I worry about you as well! I know that there is so much on your mind, so much that you won't tell any of us, and I can't understand why."  
  
"Oh really?" she questioned. "And just what is on my mind, since you know so much about me?"  
  
"Your father, for example." he replied, instantly striking a nerve. She was taken aback, her eyes widened in surprise. How could he guess such a thing?  
  
"My…father?"  
  
"Yes. I remember you telling me how anxious you were to see him when we all came here for Christmas. You said you hadn't seen him for such a long time and missed him a lot. You were really looking forward to spending some time with him."  
  
"Yes, so?"  
  
"So we get here and he's nowhere to be seen, not a trace. And you offer no explanation as to where he is, not wanting to bring up the topic. Ignorance is bliss, right Adele?"  
  
"I don't understand, where is all this coming from? Why are you bringing this up?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.   
  
"Because, Adele," Bakura said, the tone of his voice filled with compassion. "We care about you. I care about you. I want to help."  
  
Adele looked up, her eyes glossed over with the beginning of a tear. She stared at Bakura sadly, touched by his persistence. This was very unlike him, to be so stubborn. She wondered where this new determination came from.  
  
"Bakura, I—" she started, not knowing where to find the words. "I want to help you too."  
  
Bakura smiled, placing one hand on her shoulder. "Looks like we both have a problem, don't we? We're both too stubborn!"  
  
"Then maybe we can help each other."  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"We make a promise." She said, taking one of Bakura's hands in her own and clutching it tightly. "You help me, I help you. We do this together, as friends, as confidantes."  
  
Bakura smiled, squeezing her small hand in response. "I like that idea."  
  
"But we have to promise each other, okay? No more secrets. If something is on one of our minds, we tell each other, we talk about it, we try to feel better about it."  
  
"I can't promise you I'll be very good at this whole thing, but I can promise to try."  
  
Adele smiled, finally, and lightly touched Bakura's hand against her lips. "That's all I ask for."  
  
They stared at each other a moment, both realizing what an awkward moment this truly was. Each of them were used to holding all their feelings inside, to taking care their selves and not depending on anyone else. To take such a step, it seemed unnatural, yet, at the same time, inevitable. Everybody needs somebody sometimes, right? Just when the silence seemed to be taking over, Adele spoke.  
  
"You know, I've been thinking."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About you. About your guilt over your other self. I was thinking about it in comparison to a poem I read once."  
  
"A poem?"  
  
"It's called 'Prometheus Unbound', by Percy Bysshe Shelley. I'm sure you've heard of him."  
  
"He's one of the greatest British writers of all time, yes, I've read some of his works, but I can't say I recognize the name of this poem you speak of."  
  
"It's about the mythological character of Prometheus. You know his story? He's the one who stole fire from the gods and so, in punishment, he was placed on top of a mountain and chained there for all eternity, and every day he would be eaten alive by birds."  
  
"Yes, a very vulgar story."  
  
"Yes, but also very symbolic. You see, because the birds that eat away at him every day can be much like something that bothers us every day, something that we have to conquer."  
  
"What is your point?"  
  
"In this poem, Prometheus is depressed and miserable about his bad luck and he wants so desperately to be free from his punishment. One day, he has a change of heart. He decides not to look upon his situation in such a dreary light anymore. He regains hope that someday he will be free, and truly believes that everything will be okay again. This same time is the turning point for him because it's the first step in his release. Once he accepts his fate and looks upon it in a brighter light, it gives his ex-love Asia a chance to take steps to release him. In the end, he is happy and free from his punishment."  
  
"So what you're saying is that it's not how a situation treats us, but rather, how we treat the situation?"  
  
"Exactly. Sometimes, it's all about how you view the situation. Pessimism will only make things worse than they need to be. If one is optimistic, they can feel the motivation to do something about their situation, to change it for the better."  
  
"That's very interesting, but what does this have to do with me?"  
  
"This situation with your yami. You feel miserable about it, you hate yourself for it. Until you learn to forgive yourself and realize that you can fight this, you are not going to be able to do anything about it. You need to start within yourself rather than on the outside."  
  
"What do you suggest I do?"  
  
"Smile."  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"I said you should smile more often. You really have a wonderful smile."  
  
Bakura blushed. "Thank you. And thank you for the story as well. I'm not sure I would find myself a likely comparison to a Greek hero, but I'm flattered nonetheless."  
  
"Just think about what I said, okay?"  
  
"I will, Adele. I promise. But in the meantime, what about you?"  
  
"What about me?"  
  
"Are you okay? I know you must be upset about your father not being here."  
  
"Oh, yes. Well, that is the least of what is on my mind, but yes, that is disappointing. He left me a message on my cell phone the day we were to leave on the plane for England. He said he got called away to an important business meeting and could not avoid it. He apologized for not being able to join us, but insisted we all still come and spend Christmas here anyway."  
  
"That was very nice of him. How do you feel about this, though?"  
  
"I'm all right, actually. I'm used to not seeing my father for long periods of time. As a child, we didn't live together."  
  
"You didn't?"  
  
"No. I was very sick as a child and had to stay at a hospital in London where they could take care of me. I was there for most of my young life. It wasn't until I was about 13 years old that I went out on my own."  
  
"I'm so sorry to hear that, Adele. So I assume you and your father are not very close?"  
  
"No, not really. There is an unspoken distance between us that I've never been able to cross. I can't quite explain it."  
  
"I think I understand. My father and I, we don't speak much either. Our family used to be much closer, but we haven't been for years. After my mother died, everything changed so much."  
  
"Wow, your mother died too? I lost my mother as well, although I was very young and I can hardly remember her. In fact, that is her portrait hanging above the fireplace there." Adele said, motioning to the large painting of the red-haired woman he remembered from before. "She was said to have been a brilliant woman with a passion for helping others. My father was a very selective man when it came to choosing a wife. He never had any patience with women because they all seemed to want to marry him for his money. But then he met my mother and fell madly in love with her." She laughed musingly to herself. "Sounds like a fairy-tale, doesn't it?"  
  
"I did not know that you lost your mother. It seems you and I have much more in common than we previously understood."  
  
"That we do," she responded, smiling joyfully at him. She found herself feeling so much happier than before, sitting here with him. She was feeling very sad earlier today, thinking about how different things could be if her father were here, if this Christmas they could have been a family. But now, Bakura found a way to cheer her up. He always seemed to find a way to bring a smile to her face, happiness to her heart. She prayed he didn't know, didn't realize. She would just die if he did! After all, how ridiculous would it be if she were to tell him that—  
  
*Whiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*  
  
Suddenly, alarms sounded throughout the house, awakening and frightening everyone within. Adele jumped up from her seat on the couch, her eyes large and round with fear.  
  
"Oh no!" she screamed, trying to pull away from Bakura, who still clutched her hand. "We have to get out of here!"  
  
"What is it? A fire alarm?"  
  
"No! It means there are intruders! It could be dangerous! If we don't get—"  
  
*SMASH*  
  
The window broke into a thousand pieces and tiny shards of glass came crashing down on top of them as three loud gunshots were fired from Adele's front lawn. Adele ducked, trying to protect herself from the broken glass, but Bakura immediately jumped on top of her, knocking her to the ground, where he covered her body with his own, praying that he sheltered her from whatever or whoever it was that was trying to harm them.  
  
"Adele, hang on." He said, trying to yell over the loudness of the alarms. "If we just stay down here until the police arrive, we should be okay!"  
  
The sound of the alarms was deafening and Bakura hoped that the others were safe upstairs in their respective guest rooms. Lying here where they were somewhat blocked from the height of the couch in front of them felt safer than trying to run away where the shooter could certainly take aim upon them. Bakura wondered who on earth would be shooting at Adele's house, and why. She looked so terrified moments before, almost as if she knew who it was that was attacking, yet she didn't mention anyone's name. That's when it struck him. Adele had not said a single word, she was not even moving.  
  
Surely she would fight with him, tell him they had to get out of there, tell him that at least he had to get out of there. These were things he would expect from her. He did not expect Adele to lie there, quiet and still, almost like a doll. He didn't think it was strange at first when there was no response. After all, he could barely hear himself think over the sound of the alarms. But the lifeless feeling of her body beneath him was what made him really think twice.  
  
"Adele? Adele, answer me? Are you all right?"  
  
He turned over her body in some attempt to get a response out of her and felt something wet on his hands. Turning her over face-up revealed the source--all he could see was blood! It was running down her face in tiny rivulets, coming from what appeared to be a deep wound on the top of her head. There was so much of it! Bakura panicked. The gunshots…could one of them have?   
  
"Adele, no! Oh my God, no!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sparky16—thanks for all the reviews and encouragement! Let me know what you think, I value your opinion!  
  
Anya—you must post new chappies now! Please! How else do you expect me to make it over Christmas break?  
  
He he he…let me know what you think…--LA 


	9. Goodbye, My Friend

Fallen Angels—Chapter Nine: Goodbye, my Friend  
  
By Lady Armandina  
  
Disclaimer: I said it before, I'll say it again. I only own Adele. Noone else is mine. Raya is property of Anya (Go read her fan fics! They are great!)   
  
Author's Note: I know that many call Ryou the regular Bakura and Bakura the yami. I have switched it in my story, because that is what I have grown accustomed to. Sorry for any confusion!  
  
Warning: This chapter has some blood and violence in it. It's nothing too serious, but if these things disturb you or you do not feel comfortable, please do not read on! I don't want anyone to be offended! I add these things only for an added effect in the story, I do not condone violence in any way!  
  
Also—Everyone, thanks for the reviews! I love getting them and I really appreciate the encouragement! I hope I don't let you down.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Bakura felt his heart nearly stop as he thought of the possibility of losing his friend. He shuddered to think of her death, refusing to allow such a thing to happen if there was anything he could do about it. Still, the situation did not look good.  
  
There was blood running down Adele's forehead and across the right side of her face, mixing with the reddish brown color of her hair. He brought his face close to hers, trying to listen for the sound of her breath, but could hear nothing over the deafening alarms. Tilting her head back a bit, he placed his hand in front of her mouth to see if he could feel her breathing, and felt relieved to find that she was still inhaling air. He could not see the color of her skin very well. Even though there was candlelight in the room, it was still very dark in here, which made it hard to determine whether or not she was going into shock.   
  
"There must be something I could do!" he said to himself, the alarms whirring so loud that he barely heard his own words.  
  
Not knowing what else to do, he tore off a piece of the flannel pajama bottoms he wore and used it to put pressure on the wound above her forehead. It was all he could do for now, and it still didn't seem to be enough.  
  
"Oh, God, someone please help her!" he whispered, terrified to scream. If he screamed, the shooter could still be on the property and might come after him. If he did nothing, by the time someone found them it might be too late! He had to do something now, and fast, or it could be the end of the road for Adele.  
  
Thinking fast, Bakura looked up at the dark violet curtains that hung gracefully over the window. Yes, that would work…He crawled over to where he could grasp the end of the curtains and yanked them down on one side, draping it over his body as a cloak.  
  
'This is a dark color and will camouflage me against the night.' He thought. Quickly, he took the strip of flannel he had ripped and tied it around the wound on Adele's head, taking care not to tie it too tightly so that it didn't make things worse. Then, mustering up all the courage he had, he gently picked up the limp body of Adele and tip-toed out of the room, keeping his back against the cold marble wall.   
  
Yes, this was the front hall. Only a few steps to the staircase and then he could get upstairs with the others, hopefully, where it would be safer.  
  
"Adele, please hang on." He whispered.  
  
Carefully, he made his way across the front hall, slowly ascending the long, twisting staircase to the second floor.   
  
Now, there is even more blood on your hands!  
  
His body trembled all over with a deep sense of fear as he took the last step into the second floor hallway. A quick glance around told him he had nothing to fear, the only thing present here were his friends.  
  
"Bakura!" Yugi yelled, running toward him. He gasped when he noticed that Bakura was holding the wounded form of Adele. "Oh no! What happened!"  
  
Sugoroku immediately took action. "Quickly, Bakura! Lie her down right here!"  
  
"No, we can't! It's not safe! Downstairs, there was gunfire!"  
  
Mai gasped, appearing horrified as she ran to her friend. "Gunfire? Is that why Adele is bleeding?"  
  
"I think so. The windows came crashing in and I tried to shield her, I really tried to, it's just that—" Bakura stopped mid-sentence, faltering and ready to collapse. Tristan ran to his side, taking Adele from his arms just in time for Bakura to fall to the floor. "If anything happens to her, it's all my fault!"  
  
"Bakura," Tea said, kneeling down so that her face was even with his. "This is in no way your fault. Please understand that! Now, we just need to get her someplace safe. The police should be here soon, right?"  
  
Mai opened the door to the bedroom she had been staying in, which was immediately next to where they had been standing. "Here, we can go in here for now."  
  
Everyone gathered inside and crowded around the bed as Tristan lay Adele down gently, taking care not to disturb the makeshift bandage Bakura had placed across her forehead. Mai was already close by, immediately at Adele's bedside, ready to help, and Sugoroku hastily began examining the wound. Bakura leaned against the wall near the doorway, staring on helplessly and feeling as though there were nothing he could do. If only he had not kept Adele up so long, if only she had gone to bed sooner, then this would not have happened to her…  
  
It then occurred to him that he was truly worried about losing her. He didn't like the idea of not seeing her smiling, cheerful face to greet him every day. He tried to picture what it would be like to spend every day without the comfort of knowing somebody who seemed to understand him, someone who was a kindred spirit, someone whom he finally felt he could talk to…a friend…But also, someone whom he wanted to help as well. She had been there for him and didn't back down when he needed help, even though he was too stubborn to admit it. Now, here she was, in need of help so desperately, and he couldn't give it to her. There was truly nothing he could do at this point.  
  
As he looked over at her helpless form he noticed the mysterious way that the moonlight played itself across her features. There was definitely something more to this girl, and he wanted so badly to find out more about her. He prayed he would have the chance. The blood had begun to coagulate and grow sticky and her hair stuck to the moisture on the side of her face. As Sugoroku removed the bandage, Tristan flicked on the overhead light, revealing just how serious the wound on her head had been.  
  
"No…" Bakura whispered, moving to the bedside. He reached one hand out and brushed the sticky hair away from her face, tears forming in his eyes. "Please…we have to do something."  
  
At that same moment, the sound of police sirens were heard, wailing louder than even the alarms inside the house. Everyone looked up, noticing the flashing of blue and red lights playing across the walls of the room.  
  
"I'll go downstairs and talk to them." Volunteered Joey. "You guys stay here, I'll make sure they bring the medical team up."  
  
He ran out the door and shut it behind him, leaving the melancholy of the room behind him. Serenity rushed into the room, just returning from the bathroom with a wet washcloth. She handed it to Sugoroku, who carefully began to clean around the wound on Adele's head.   
  
"This doesn't look like it's too deep." He noted. "I'm not a doctor, of course, but it looks like this is only a cut."  
  
"What can we do for her?" asked Mai.   
  
"Wait!" Bakura interrupted, motioning toward Adele. "Look!"  
Adele's head moved a little, her eyelids fluttering as she began to regain consciousness. Slowly, she opened her eyes, appearing confused and disoriented. Bakura immediately took her hand.  
  
"Adele? You are all right!" he said, kissing the top of her hand lightly. "Listen, don't move, the medical team will be here very soon."  
  
"Wha-What's going on?" she mumbled, looking around her. "Why am I--?"  
  
"Adele!" Sugoroku exclaimed. "Just rest, you're going to be okay! You had a little accident, that's all."  
  
"Oh my God," she exclaimed, remembering what had happened. She quickly sat up in the bed, looking all around her. "Is everyone all right? I'm so sorry!"  
  
"Lie down!" Yugi said. "Please, Adele, everyone is fine. Everyone except for you, that is."  
  
"I'm fine." She insisted, putting her hand to her head. "This is nothing. If anything happened to any of you, I couldn't live with myself."  
  
"Adele, please calm down." Bakura pleaded. "You've lost a lot of blood and should relax until you can get medical attention."  
  
She looked over at Bakura, who still clutched her left hand, realizing that there were streaks of red on the bottom of his snowy-white hair.   
  
"Oh no!" she said, reaching out to touch his face. "Are you hurt?"  
  
Bakura pushed his hair to the side, showing her that there was no injury there. "See? I am fine. The blood you see is your own. When I picked you up—"  
  
"You picked me up?" she questioned.  
  
"Yes. When the windows broke downstairs, I tried to protect you from the glass, but I guess it did no good. You were hurt, but I was fine. I needed to get you where you would be safe, and seeing that the gunfire was downstairs, I figured it was much safer up here. So, I picked you up and brought you here."  
  
"But you are hurt." She noted, placing her hand near a small cut that was above his eyebrow.  
  
"I am fine. This won't even need stitches. Now, please." He said, fluffing the pillow behind her. "Lay back down. It would make all of us feel so much better."  
  
Adele finally gave into the wishes of the others and laid back down on the bed. Minutes later, an ambulance arrived and rushed their way upstairs, giving her the proper care she needed. She was compliant, but stubborn, still insisting that she was absolutely fine. The doctor, surprisingly, agreed with her.  
  
"It looks like you are a very lucky girl." He said, placing a sterile bandage firmly over the wound. "This could have been lethal if the bullet had made contact a little lower on your head."  
  
"Bullet?" she questioned, shocked. "You mean, this cut is not from the broken glass?"  
  
"No, it's not. I would determine by the nature of the wound and the depth of it that this was caused by a bullet. Fortunately, the bullet just skimmed the top of your head, damaging only part of the scalp and top layer of tissue. It did not even make contact with your skull, which would possibly have been lethal. There was so much blood because that part of your head contains a large amount of blood vessels. Because of the density of them, when damaged, there is a lot more blood than one would think could be lost from such a seemingly minor wound."  
  
"That means Bakura saved my life." She concluded, looking up at him.  
  
"What? No, I mean, I wish I could take credit for such a thing—"  
  
"You knocked me over when the shots were heard. The doctor said it himself—if the bullet made contact any lower on my face, it could have killed me. You prevented that from happening."  
  
Everyone turned to look at Bakura, who only blushed, uncertain of whether he deserved such credit.  
  
"You're awesome, man." Joey said, patting him on the back. "Be proud of yourself."  
  
"That certainly is something to be proud of." The doctor agreed. "I am finished here. You take those painkillers I gave you only when you need them. In the meantime, keep the wound bandaged at least for a few more days. It will soon heal enough that you can go without a bandage, but be careful. If you have any trouble, see a doctor about it right away."  
  
"Thank you, sir. Your help here is much appreciated." Adele said, heartily shaking his hand.  
  
"I'm only doing my job." He said with a smile. "Now, there is a policeman outside your door here, waiting to speak with you about what happened. Shall I let him in?"  
  
"Of course, Doctor. And thank you again."  
  
The doctor left and allowed the policeman to enter, who, with a somber face, told everyone what they had determined from their investigation. It seems that someone broke into her family's property and the alarm system picked it up right away. This person or persons must have been spying on Adele and Bakura through the window because he or she knew exactly where to shoot. Three shots were fired and all three bullets were found. One of those bullets was found with a bit of blood and scalp tissue on it, determining that this was the bullet that grazed the top of Adele's head. It was found just several feet from the couch where they had been sitting, while the other two bullets were found lodged in the marble wall behind the piano.  
  
"Thank God it was not worse." Joey expressed, taking Mai's hand protectively.  
  
"Yes, you are all lucky to come out of this all right." Noted the officer. "However, I would suggest you not stay here until we find out who is the cause of this. It's not safe here, especially since this appears to be a targeted attack."  
  
"You're right." Adele said. "We should all head back immediately, this morning's earliest flight. I'll call right now for the tickets."  
  
While Adele was on the phone with the airport, the others packed up their bags and got ready to leave. Nobody wanted to end their vacation so early, but it was necessary under the circumstances. Before they knew it, they were dressed, off to the airport, and boarding a private jet back to Japan. Once on the plane, Adele's cell phone rang.  
  
"Hello?...Yes, how did you hear about it?...Listen, we're on our way back to Japan right now…No…No, of course not…Kaiba, listen to me! It's safe, there's nothing to worry about! Nobody knows about it...It's a bad time to talk about this, I will call you when we're back…I will talk to you then."  
  
She hung up the phone, not realizing that anyone had heard her conversation, but Joey was sitting right behind her on the plane and had heard every word. He turned to Mai, who was sleeping with her head leaning against the window next to him. Gently, he pulled the fleece blanket that she was using up over her arms and unbuckled the seatbelt from around his waist. Quickly, he moved to the empty seat across from Adele, leaning forward to talk to her.  
  
"Adele, is everything okay?"  
  
She turned to him, the fear evident in her eyes. "I'm fine. I told you all that before."  
  
"Listen, we just want to help you out. I heard you talking to Seto and—"  
  
"What? I wasn't talking to him, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Well, I thought you were. You said his name on the phone and you seemed pretty freaked out about whatever it is you were talking about."  
  
"Joey, do me a favor and don't listen to my phone calls. I know you're just concerned, but I'd appreciate it if you minded your own business!"  
  
The tone of her voice was very unlike her and Joey was immediately taken aback. He stood up from the seat. "All right. If you want me to back off, you got it, I'll back off."   
  
He walked back to his seat and sat down, frustrated and concerned over her mysterious behavior. Before he could think of breathing another word, Adele stood up in her seat and turned around to face everyone.  
  
"Listen, guys, I have to say something for one minute."  
  
Everyone turned and looked at her, wondering what it is that so suddenly compelled this outburst in her.  
  
"What is it, Adele?" asked Tristan.  
  
She paused for a moment, looking around her at the friends she had made in the past few months. They had been so kind to her, so understanding, and tons of fun to hang out with. She had no idea how she was going to say what she knew in her heart she had to say.  
  
"When we get back…I'm going to have to stay away from you all."  
  
Yugi wouldn't stand for it. "Adele, this is silly. I'm sure that the attack at your home in England was unplanned. You will be safe back in Japan."  
  
Adele quickly cut in. "You don't understand, Yugi! There's so much you all don't understand, you never could, so please don't try and act as if you could!"  
  
"Adele," Bakura started, concerned. "We are only trying to be here for you, as a friend, as you have so loyally shown us friendship in the past."  
  
"Well, we can't be friends. Not anymore. You don't understand and I'm not about to try and make you. I'm sorry, but this is how it has to be."  
  
She swiftly sat back down in her seat, buckling her seat belt because the plane was soon to land. The others sat in shock, debating over whether or not to confront Adele about her hasty decision. She seemed entirely too stubborn to listen to anybody.  
  
"Maybe it's better if we give her a day or two to think about it." Suggested Mai. "Then, she will be more calm when we talk to her about this whole situation."  
  
In minutes, the plane landed and everyone unboarded. Adele was the last on the plane, that is, except for Bakura, who waited a moment behind. She may be stubborn, but he could be stubborn too, when necessary.  
  
"Adele—"he said, taking hold of her arm.  
  
"You can't change my mind, Bakura, so don't waste your time."  
  
"There is no need to be so unkind about this. Nobody has done anything to you and we only tried to be your friend. Please, understand that much at least."  
  
She shook her head, pulling her arm away from him. "I have to be cruel to be kind, Bakura. You of all people should understand how that works. You push people away from you so you don't hurt them--and don't tell me that you don't! Well, that's what I have to do now. It will be better off for everybody in the end. I should have known better than to try to have friends. It has never worked in the past."  
  
"Listen to me, please!" Bakura said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "If there is one thing I've learned in the time we've been friends, it's that we can't go through things on our own. You taught me that. You stood there, unfaltering, and told me you were my friend and you weren't going to go anywhere. Now, when your friends try to reach out to you, you run away."  
  
"But, you see, I can go through things on my own. It's always been that way with me, always will be. Now, I must be going." She said, pushing her way past him. She turned around, looked back at him one more time. "It has been wonderful knowing you. Now, please, go away."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
YumeTakato - thanks for the reviews! I appreciate the feedback and would love to hear more of your opinions, suggestions…  
  
Anya – pack your bags, girl, cuz we're off to skip the country! Ha ha, no really, you better update soon, or you will have to be skipping the country in order to avoid me!  
  
Sparky16 – thanks for the reviews and crazy online ramblings via AIM. 


	10. Dream's End

Fallen Angels-Chapter Ten: Dream's End  
  
By Lady Armandina  
  
Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did own them (hehe, especially Bakura!), I don't.   
  
Author's Note: I know that many call Ryou the regular Bakura and Bakura the yami. I have switched it in my story, because that is what I have grown accustomed to cuz that is how the names are in America (well, at least Bakura is Bakura, not sure about the yami...). Sorry for any confusion!  
  
Also-Everyone, thanks for the reviews! I love getting them and I really appreciate the encouragement! I hope I don't let you down.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I just don't know what happened, Yugi."  
  
Bakura Ryou and Yugi Motou sat outside Domino City High School underneath their favorite tree, the everyday meeting place of their group of friends. School got out an hour ago and all their friends were long gone home, but Bakura and Yugi stayed awhile, sitting and talking about the insanity of the events over Christmas break.  
  
"I know, Bakura. None of us really do. All I can say is that we should stick around, be here for her if she changes her mind."  
  
"It somehow doesn't seem like enough."  
  
Yugi glanced at Bakura from the corner of his eye, taking a sip from his can of Coca-Cola. "Do you think there is anything else we can do at this point?"  
  
"Yes, Yugi. Actually, I do."  
  
Yugi sat his drink down in the grass, turning to his friend to meet his gaze. "What do you suggest?"  
  
"Adele is too stubborn to allow us to change her mind. However, we can get through to her in a different way."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Bakura smiled, proud of his own cleverness. "Seto Kaiba."  
  
"Kaiba? What can he help us with?"  
  
"I have a sneaking suspicion she is much closer to Kaiba than either of them let on. For some reason, they are hiding the fact that there is some sort of connection between them. We have already seen that they are somewhat of friends with each other. They must be close because she already knew about what happened to Mokuba long before the rest of us did. But I think there's something more to it than that."  
  
Yugi looked at his friend strangely. "Are you saying that you think Kaiba and Adele are a couple?"  
  
Bakura began to laugh. "No! That's not it at all! I was only suggesting that there is something they are hiding from us. Whatever that is, I'm not sure. You remember on the plane, when Adele got that phone call?"  
  
"Yes, I remember her being very upset about it."  
  
"Well, she called the person on the phone 'Kaiba'. She seemed nervous about speaking to him in front of us, wanted to talk to him at a better time. It seems like it was after she got off the phone with Seto something in her changed. That's when she told us she couldn't talk to us anymore. She must be really worried about something."  
  
"You're right, Bakura. Something strange is going on. The question is what? And really, what can we do about it if we don't even know what it is?"  
  
Bakura smiled again, certain of his own predictions. "I think I know what it is."  
  
Yugi was surprised. "What? Wow, Bakura, I know that you were probably closer to Adele than the rest of us, but how can you know what's going on? Has she confided something in you?"  
  
"Not exactly. But she did say something to me about the reasons she moved to Domino City and I think that may be the link we are looking for."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"One day when we were talking, she told me that she is here because she is doing some kind of research that is only available in Domino City. She said that for her to acquire what she needed, it was necessary for her to come here. What else could this be other than Kaiba Corporation?"  
  
"That makes sense. Kaiba Corporation is the nation's leading company on technology, specifically gaming technology. It's also one of the most successful and important companies in the world. It's the main attraction here."  
  
"Precisely. I can think of no other thing that would draw a person halfway across the world to Domino City. The only question is, what exactly is she researching? If it has to do with some sort of game, what would there be to hide?"  
  
"I don't know, Bakura, but I think we should check into this."  
  
"I agree. Besides, it won't be too difficult since we have been keeping an eye on Kaiba Corp since we heard about the attack on Mokuba."  
  
"Yeah, and it's a good thing Seto hasn't caught onto us yet. You know he would never stand for us trying to help him."  
  
"True. We will just have to continue being careful."  
  
"Well," started Bakura, standing to his feet and lifting his book bag up over his shoulder. "I think it's time I head home. I have some homework to do for Ms. Hakusha's class."  
  
"Yeah, me too." Yugi said with a sigh. "I can't wait until the summer again. School is driving me nuts lately."  
  
Yugi stood up as well, grabbing his half-empty can of coke from the ground and lifting the heavy pile of books that he needed for homework.   
  
"Wow, I really need to get a book bag." He commented, looking at Bakura, who seemed to be staring off into space all of a sudden. "Bakura, what's wrong?"  
  
"That's very strange." Bakura commented, seeming very concerned about something.  
  
"What is?"  
  
"You see that man over there?" Bakura said, motioning toward the nearby basketball court that was visible from where they stood. "He has been standing there, watching us the entire time we were sitting here."  
  
"He looks creepy." Remarked Yugi. It was true. The man wore dark sunglasses and a long black trenchcoat over what appeared to be a conservative black suit. He smoked a cigarette, slowly, methodically, and as Yugi and Bakura stood watching him, he tossed it into the grass and stomped it out with his black-booted foot. He looked up, and then over in the direction of the two boys, smiling mischievously, his demeanor seeming a bit menacing.   
  
"Umm...Bakura? I think we should get out of here."  
  
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. He's scary."  
  
"Walk home with me?"  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
The boys swiftly turned around and practically ran home, not stopping to catch their breath or even saying a word to each other. They paced down the sidewalk, a whole four blocks, until they reached Yugi's home. It was then that they slowed down, looking around to make sure they weren't followed.  
  
"Do you think he followed us?" asked Yugi, breathing heavily.  
  
"No, no, I think we lost him. Let's just hope he was some random creepy guy that hangs out in basketball courts!"  
  
"Unfortunately, with all the mysterious happenings lately, I doubt that is true."  
  
"So what are you saying, Yugi? You think we're not safe?"  
  
"We can't know for sure, but we shouldn't out rule the possibility that-"  
  
"HEY GUYS!" came a voice, yelling loudly from across the street.  
  
"AGGGHHHHH!" Both Bakura and Yugi screamed in unison, flipping their heads around to see who spoke.  
  
"Ah! Joey!" said Yugi with a sigh of relief. "We thought you were someone else."  
  
"Hey, a little nervous there, buddy?" Joey responded, jogging across the street to meet up with his friends. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Oh, nothing really." Commented Bakura. "We're just being a bit paranoid, that's all."  
  
Yugi looked at Bakura questioningly, wondering why it is that Bakura didn't just tell Joey the truth.  
  
"Hey, that's understandable with the ways things have been lately." Joey responded. "That reminds me. Either of you speak to Adele since the trip home?"  
  
"No," Yugi answered. "In fact, I was wondering if maybe Mai has spoken to her. They were good friends, she would be likely to hear from her before the rest of us did."  
  
Joey shook his head negatively. "No. No sign of her at all. Mai is worried about it, wondering if she should just go right over there and do something about it herself. She thinks she might be acting too pushy though. Ya know, sometimes people need their space and all."  
  
"Yes," Bakura agreed. "That is true. But, as much as I'd love to stay and talk longer, I really must be going now. I will see you both in school tomorrow!"  
  
"See ya later, Bakura."  
  
"Good bye, Bakura!"  
  
Bakura turned away and ambled down the sidewalk toward his own home, which was only another two blocks away. He wondered if it was safe that he was walking alone like this, but immediately cast off the idea that the mysterious man could have anything to do with the attack on Mokuba or the shooting at Adele's home in England. After all, they already knew who was responsible for what happened to Mokuba and the other incident was in a completely different country! So why then was it that he felt so unsafe?  
  
  
It certainly didn't help that he had been having such wild dreams lately. They all felt more like memories, rather than dreams. Sometimes, they were so vivid that when he woke up, it was the real world that felt more like a dream to him. If only those dreams were good ones, then maybe he would not feel so on edge, but they were always negative, chilling, frightening, and left him trembling upon awakening. Maybe he was just being paranoid about it all, but something, he couldn't quite place what, was making him feel very uneasy, and his instincts were almost never wrong...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
She didn't want things to be this way, it's just that they absolutely had to be. She really had no other choice at this point. It was either push away the people she so dearly called her friends, or put them in immediate danger, a danger that could possibly end up killing them. She could bear not talking to them, even if it meant they were angry with her for it, but she couldn't bear the thought of any of them being hurt. Especially him...  
  
She hadn't been out of her house in days, instead, staying locked up inside, down in her basement, working on the project that had begun to take over her entire life four years ago. She was so close to the solution, she wasn't going to stop now, lives were at stake-two very important lives. It was only a matter of experimentation now and a few final touches and soon, she would be able to test it. She prayed that all her hard work would soon pay off.  
  
But it was crazy living undercover like this. She loved being around people, craved the friendship and affection of those she cared so dearly for, but she couldn't put anybody at risk, even herself. If she were to come under any harm now, she would never be able to finish the project, and she couldn't let anybody get their hands on it either. But it was only a matter of time until they found out where she was hiding. She had to come up with a new place to hide soon.  
  
Suddenly, her cell phone began to ring. She knew who it would be before she even picked it up.   
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Adele. How is it coming along?"  
  
"It's fine, Seto. I've ran the model test a few times, and it seems to be working very well except for a few minor glitches."  
  
"Minor glitches? Like what?"  
  
"Well, you know how the process needs a volunteer subject for the link to establish?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, the glitch is that the subject seems to be drained to a very serious extent after the process runs through. It could prove fatal if not properly dealt with."  
  
"So it would basically be sacrificing one life for another?"  
  
"Exactly. I am working on the glitch right now. I think I have a solution, but I need some time to work through it."  
  
"Well, how much time, Adele? This is my little brother we are talking about here!"  
  
Adele's temper flared up. "And you think this project is not just as urgent for me? I am doing all I can, Seto! That is all I have to offer right now! I will contact you when I get further, but for now, I would appreciate it if you left me to my work!"  
  
"Very well. I will expect to hear from you soon." He said, immediately hanging up. Adele could not believe how insensitive Seto Kaiba could be about all this. After all, he knew how much this project meant to her too, how much was at stake, how could he--?  
  
The phone rang again and Adele angrily picked it back up, practically screaming into the phone. "What now, Kaiba?!"  
  
There was a moment of silence on the other end, and then a nervous voice spoke. "Um, Adele?"  
  
She was taken aback. "Bakura! I'm sorry, I didn't expect it to be you. What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing really. I mean, nothing for me anyway. I wanted to talk to you."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About what happened in England. Adele, things don't have to be like this."  
  
She sighed in frustration, wishing that she could tell him the truth about it all. She didn't want to hurt him like this, he was such a wonderful friend, and such a very sweet guy. It was difficult to lie to him.  
  
"Bakura, you don't understand. It's dangerous."  
  
"Yes, yes, I know! You told us this before. And you want us to stay away because you don't want us to get hurt! Believe me, I know how you feel! I too push people away in fear of hurting them!"  
  
Adele snickered. "And who could you have ever possibly hurt, Bakura?"  
  
"A very dear friend of mine, many years ago. I hurt her very badly, and more so than you might expect, and I've lived every day since being haunted by that moment. But that is beside the point."  
  
"How is that beside the point?"  
  
"Listen to me, Adele, I'm trying to tell you that you're not alone in this! You shouldn't have to go through whatever it is you're going through, alone!"  
  
The tone of his voice shocked her. Bakura was always so soft-spoken, so compliant. He was being stubborn and headstrong now, a trait she had never seen in him before. She wondered where this sudden persistence came from and found herself fallen speechless in respect of his attitude. She knew he was right. He was only being a friend, he was doing exactly as she would do if she were in his place right now. She couldn't be angry with him for that, she could only respect him, appreciate him, admire him. Her heart reached out to him. Oh, how she wished she could tell him the truth...everything...  
  
"Bakura...I'm sorry."  
  
The voice on the other end sighed complacently. "Very well, Adele. I'm sorry too. I'm sorry things can't be different. I respect your need for space, and I will leave you alone now. Best of luck to you, and if you ever need anything, you know where to find us-you know where to find me. If I never speak to you again, I just wanted to say thank you for everything. You'll never know how much your friendship meant to me."  
  
"Bakura, wait!"  
  
But before she could get the words out, she heard a click on the other end. He had hung up, and had left her with a lot to think about as well. She didn't know where to start with everything, but only hoped that he would understand, and, that in the end, she would be able to find friendship with everyone again. Maybe someday, that would be possible.   
  
But what was it about Bakura Ryou that made her feel so strange? There was something familiar, something so intimate about his manner that she couldn't stop thinking about him from the first moment she met him. It almost seemed as if they had met before somewhere...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Bakura hung up the phone and sighed, running his hands through his soft, white hair and pushing it back from his face. He sat at his kitchen table, pensive and distraught over how to solve this mystery, wondering if it would ever be possible. He knew he had to do something, he simply did not know what. He hoped that his words reached Adele somehow, but did not bet on it-she was a very stubborn girl and would not back down easily. Still, when it came to a friend in need, Bakura never backed down either. Only time would tell who had the strongest will in this matter...  
  
You know, there's nothing you can do, you fool!  
  
"Spirit! Leave me be!" He screamed out, frustrated that the spirit that lived inside his Millenium Ring had to be bothering him right now. Under his light blue sweater, the ring glowed faintly, letting off an eerie chiming sound.  
  
"Oh...no..." he whispered, placing his hand over the ring. He felt it move slightly against his chest, causing him to shudder as a cold chill ran down his spine. No, not now. He only wanted to be left alone right now!  
  
Oh? You wish to be alone? Then I shall do as you wish, pitiful child!  
  
Then, the pain came, stronger than ever. It started in his chest, directly spreading out from where the ring rested against his skin. It burnt him from the inside out, extending across his entire body until he found himself curled into a ball on the kitchen floor, clutching at his own hair, pulling at it.  
  
"No! Leave me alone!" he shrieked in pain.  
  
It grew dark, as it always did, and the pain dulled away until his entire body, if there was still a body, felt numb. He soon felt nothing at all, only a faded sting left over from the inevitable change.   
  
But he should come to expect this. After all, this happened every time 'he' took over. If Bakura didn't fight it, it would not hurt so bad. In fact, Bakura never used to even be able to tell when the spirit was taking over his body. He would come and go as he pleased, using Bakura as his host to do whatever it was he wanted to do that day, always something evil, something terrible. That is, until Bakura started to fight back.   
  
His friends had been telling him for months that he would sometimes 'change', he would start to be what Tristan called 'a real freak'. He didn't know what this meant at first, but decided to be on guard as he never had any memory of it whenever he came out of one of his 'spells'. One day, while sitting at home doing some Math homework, he felt a slight tingle coming from where the millennium ring sat coolly against his skin. Curious, he took off the ring, pulling it out from under his shirt and analyzing it carefully. He thought it was the strangest feeling but could never have prepared himself for what happened next. The ring began to glow with a bright golden light, stinging Bakura's eyes as a strange ringing sound emanated from it, growing louder each second that he held it there in his hands. Terrified and confused, he threw the ring to the floor of his bedroom, watching fearfully as the light flooded his entire room with a golden glow and a strange figure appeared suddenly before him, seeming to materialize within the light. Bakura was shocked to see that this figure, though he could not see the face, greatly resembled his own form.  
  
"Bakura..." hissed the voice as one hand came up to point at him. Bakura fell to the ground, feeling a strange numbness come over his body, like tiny needles pricking every inch of his skin.  
  
"What do you want with me?" he stammered, raising his hand over his eyes to block the blinding light.  
  
The figure only laughed, and the last thing Bakura remembered before losing consciousness was feeling the heaviness of the millennium ring against his chest once more. Strange, he thought, since he had thrown it to the ground, but his eyes were already shutting, and he could see no more...  
  
That was over a year ago. Bakura wondered how long it had been going on, how many times the spirit had taken control of him before he realized that there was something wrong. He struggled to stop it every time after that, always staying on guard, especially when others were around. Suddenly, everything that had happened when he was in England made perfect sense. It was not him who had killed his best friend Celesta Annika, it was the evil spirit that took over his body, and clearly this spirit had something to do with the ring that his father had brought back from Egypt. But each time he threw it away, no matter how well he hid it, how far away he took it, it always found its way back to him. It was his destiny, his prison it seemed, and he could do nothing more than to fight the spirit each time he felt it begin to take over.  
  
But thanks to this spirit, Bakura now felt himself to be a murderer and that he could never forgive himself for. He vowed never to hurt anyone again, and that he would give his life to stop this spirit if it came to a measure such as that. He would find a way one day, a way to stop this possession, and then he could feel secure of his friends' safety. Until then, however, he must stay away from everyone he met, keeping his distance from those he called his dearest friends no matter how badly it hurt to do so. Until he met Yugi Motou and the gang from Domino City, this was an easy task. But they had all been so kind to him, so forgiving, and he had been so lonely for a very long time-it seemed impossible to totally refuse their friendship. Now, he was back where he started. The possessions came more frequently lately, and he could think of no reason why.   
  
"Please...don't hurt anyone." He whispered, his voice trembling as he fell into total, deep, and everlasting darkness. But this was different, somehow, this darkness was more penetrating than any time ever before. He couldn't fight it, couldn't feel anything, could not even hear himself breathing. It was almost as if he ceased to exist.  
  
"Spirit, are you there?" he questioned, but the words were not audible. He knew his lips should be moving, but he felt no sense of it. He knew that he existed, yet at the same time could not feel it, and that's when the realization, the fear, hit him. If he could feel himself cry, he knew there would be a tear trickling down his cheek, but there was none, and he suddenly felt entirely hopeless of his situation.  
  
"My dear God..." he whispered. "...is this...death?"  
  
~*~*~~*~*~*~*~ 


End file.
